Wokingham Council 'first in England' to introduce variable 20mph speed limits

Published by Jon Land for Wokingham District Council in Communities and also in Education, Local Government

Pupils at four primary schools in the Wokingham Borough will have their routes to class made safer thanks to the very first variable 20mph speed limits in England being introduced to coincide with the school day.

Wokingham Borough Council’s highways team are the first in England to secure variable speed limits that come into force at times when children start school and leave for the day.

The team was given the go-ahead to seek approval for variable 20mph speed limits to be put in place outside four of the borough’s rural primary schools by the council’s decision-making executive last year.

This was upheld by the Department for Transport (DFT) subject to consultation with local residents and community groups.

As there were no objections to the variable speed limits being put in place, work to implement the reduction in speed was carried out and completed last month.

Motorists now have to slash their speed from 8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm on roads running outside the four schools in a bid to safeguard the welfare of children walking and cycling to and from school. The usual speed limits will then resume once children have got to school or left for the day.  

Wokingham Borough Council is the first in England to trial the concept of variable speed limits outside of schools.  As the council was the first, there were no existing official signs available, so the council’s highways engineers worked closely with the DfT to develop an acceptable set of signage - which will be replicated across the country if the trial is successful.

Farley Hill School was the first to benefit from the variable speed limits as the scheme became fully operational in late May. The other three became operational on Wednesday June 18.

As this scheme is a trail all four sites will be closely monitored over the next six months, so a comprehensive set of speeds and accident data can be provided to the DfT. It will then make an assessment on the effectiveness of the trial, and if positive, the council will look at including more primary schools within this scheme.

Councillor Keith Baker, executive member for highways and transport, said: “Creating a safer road network for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists is extremely important and by having variable speed limits outside schools were are safeguarding the welfare of some of our most vulnerable road users.

“At Wokingham Borough Council we were keen to fully utilise the opportunity to have variable speed limits outside our schools, because it gives schoolchildren that extra protection should there be an accident.

"It seems sensible to have a reduced speed limit at times when children, sometimes as young as four-years-old, are likely to be crossing the road.

“I’m pleased that we are setting a national example and, should the trail prove successful ,for the sake of the safety of children up and down the country I hope other local authorities look at what we are doing and decide to go forward with variable speed limits outside schools.”