Motion submitted by Councillor Murray:
“Eastbourne Borough Council:
1. Supports the ‘20’s Plenty Eastbourne’ campaign:
“We have all seen the benefits of less traffic on the road because of lockdown, the aim of this campaign is to ask East Sussex County Council to help keep these improvements in air quality and road safety by introducing 20mph speed limits in all the areas where we have schools and where people live, work, shop, play or learn”
2. Calls on East Sussex County Council to implement 20mph as the default speed limit in Eastbourne; and
3. Agrees that the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Place Services and Special Projects and Chair of the Planning Committee write to East Sussex County Council on behalf of the Council to request making 20mph the default speed limit on streets throughout Eastbourne in places where people live, work, shop, play or learn, leaving 30mph as the exception on those roads, where full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit.”
Minutes:
Councillor Murray moved and Councillor Swansborough seconded the following motion as set out in the agenda:
“This Council supports the ‘20’s Plenty Eastbourne’ campaign:
“We have all seen the benefits of less traffic on the road because of lockdown, the aim of this campaign is to ask East Sussex County Council to help keep these improvements in air quality and road safety by introducing 20mph speed limits in all the areas where we have schools and where people live, work, shop, play or learn.
Calls on East Sussex County Council to implement 20mph as the default speed limit in Eastbourne; and
Agrees that the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Place Services and Special Projects and Chair of the Planning Committee will write to East Sussex County Council on behalf of the Council to request making 20mph the default speed limit on streets throughout Eastbourne in places where people live, work, shop, play or learn, leaving 30mph as the exception on those roads, where full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit.”
Councillor Lamb moved and Councillor Freebody seconded the following amendment:
“To propose an additional recommendation 4.
We propose the Eastbourne Borough Council form a cross-party group (with Officer support) to consider the areas and zones which would benefit from adopting a ’20 is Plenty’ speed limit.
This would benefit residents’ safety and improve air quality in parts of the town where residents and vehicles mix closely but would maintain thoroughfares in order to enhance vehicular flow.”
Tondra Thom and Tom Neville spoke as public speakers in relation to this item.
Councillor Murray as the proposer of the original motion, agreed to incorporate the amendment into the recommendation.
The Council debated the motion and it received support from across the Council. There was also general agreement to involving local people in assessing where 20 mph zones were most needed.
The motion as amended was put to a vote and approved.
RESOLVED (unanimously):
“This Council:
1. Supports the ‘20’s Plenty Eastbourne’ campaign:
“We have all seen the benefits of less traffic on the road because of lockdown, the aim of this campaign is to ask East Sussex County Council to help keep these improvements in air quality and road safety by introducing 20mph speed limits in all the areas where we have schools and where people live, work, shop, play or learn.
2. Calls on East Sussex County Council to implement 20mph as the default speed limit in Eastbourne;
3. Agrees that the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Place Services and Special Projects and Chair of the Planning Committee will write to East Sussex County Council on behalf of the Council to request making 20mph the default speed limit on streets throughout Eastbourne in places where people live, work, shop, play or learn, leaving 30mph as the exception on those roads, where full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit; and
4. We propose the Eastbourne Borough Council form a cross-party group (with Officer support) to consider the areas and zones which would benefit from adopting a ’20 is Plenty’ speed limit.
This would benefit residents’ safety and improve air quality in parts of the town where residents and vehicles mix closely but would maintain thoroughfares in order to enhance vehicular flow.”