Planning and consultation to start on new 20mph limit for ‘high risk’ Nottingham road
An incident in Mansfield Road on June 3, 2024 (Asif Kassam)
By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Design work and a public consultation is to start soon on a new 20mph speed limit on a “high risk” Nottingham road.
Nottingham City Council is being given more than £2.8m by the Department for Transport to make safety improvements to two major roads in the city.
The Labour-run authority intends to spend some of the money on safety improvements on the A60 Mansfield Road in Sherwood, including reducing the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph.
Since January 2018 there have been a total of 281 incidents on the section of the road through Sherwood.
Council figures show one has resulted in a fatality, 41 in serious injuries, and 239 in slight injuries.
Of the of 41 serious injuries, 28 involved pedestrians or cyclists.
At an Executive Board meeting on Tuesday (March 18), senior councillors formally accepted the funding and agreed to begin initial design work.
Cllr Neghat Khan (Lab), the leader of the council, said: “This funding programme targets road safety improvements on high risk routes with funding allocated based on data identifying major safety concerns.
“The council has been awarded £2.825m on phase two of this programme to enhance safety on two key A-roads in Nottingham; The A60 Mansfield Road and the A6200 Derby Road.
“The project aims to reduce both the number and severity of accidents, improving safety for all road users, including pedestrians.”
Across both roads, the funding could be used for new road crossings, updated signs, improved road markings and resurfacing.
No formal decision has been made regarding specific changes, with a period of public consultation expected to be held before any final decisions are made.
“By approving this report we take an initial step forward, making Nottingham roads safer for all,” Cllr Khan added.
Asif Kassam, owner of Sherwood Stationers, said he recalls an incident in June 2024 when the driver of a car crashed into a lamppost outside his shop.
“Our entire shop shook,” he said.
“In the flat upstairs the radiator came off the wall. If the lamppost wasn’t there it would have come into our shop.
“I’m not opposed to people going slower, but I do not think it will prevent the major incidents. Average speed cameras could help, but I don’t think the 20mph limit will.
“You tend to get the boy racers speeding between the lights, then braking really hard at the other end. I’m not sure it will stop those kinds of people, it might calm people, but people only listen when there is going to be an impact on them like a speeding fine.”
Colin Wignall, a volunteer at Oxfam, added: “There needs to be a lot more dignity shown by drivers. Certain drivers will observe that speed limit.
“Surely in a shopping area it is wise to be cautious because there are people crossing the road.”
Pending final approval and the conclusion of a public consultation, work is expected to begin in 2027.
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