Highland Council 20mph Programme Update - 116 villages and towns within Highland
15th March 2023
The Highland Council is pleased to announce that the work to design the 20mph speed limit programme for Highland has progressed to a stage were the plans for the locations included in the programme can be viewed by the public.
This extensive piece of work currently incorporates 116 villages and towns within Highland and is fully funded by Transport Scotland.
Chair of the Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: "Reducing speed on our roads helps to create a safer, more pleasant, environment, encouraging people to walk, wheel and cycle and enjoy spending time in their communities. In addition, it is expected that environmental and air quality benefits will be realised if safer road conditions result in increased levels of walking and cycling.
"The road safety benefits will be felt in each one of these 116 communities with their residents. including children accessing schools and play spaces and pedestrians and cyclists accessing local amenities, including shops local community centres etc doing so in a safer and more pleasant road environment."
The new limit extents for each area can be viewed online on the Highland Council website by selecting www.highland.gov.uk/20mph then the location in question.
The next stage in the delivery of the programme is the timetabling of the works required to introduce the new speed limits in the areas listed and this is ongoing with the first delivery date expected for June 2023.
The ‘Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme' published on 1 September 2021 includes the commitment that all appropriate roads in built up areas will have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.
This National Strategy for 20mph speed limits aims to expand 20mph speed limits across Scotland and ensure all appropriate roads in built-up areas have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.
The strategy seeks to introduce a consistency for 20mph speed limits across the country, simplifying speed limits for drivers.
It seeks to reduce perceptions of road danger, encourage people to walk and wheel, and create more pleasant streets and neighbourhoods by providing a more equitable balance between different road users and will contribute to the implementation of the safe system.
