A PUBLIC consultation into a “highly contentious” 20mph speed limit proposed for a main road through Downend found most people oppose it.
More than 1,600 people responded to a joint Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council consultation on plans to reduce the limit on the A432 from 30mph to 20mph between the Avon Ring Road and the existing 20mph zone in Fishponds, and on the last remaining 30mph stretch of Fishponds Road.
The strongest opposition was to plans to reduce the limit to 20mph on Badminton Road between the ring road and Cleeve Hill, and enforce it with average speed cameras – a suggestion opposed by 61.8% of respondents.
Proposals for new pedestrian crossings were backed by most of those who expressed a preference, with a crossing at Leap Valley the most popular of the six suggested locations. The others are north and south of Westons Brake, between The Paddocks and Church Lane, at the Blackhorse Lane junction and the Cleeve Park Road junction.
The consultation ran between December to February, to seek opinions on plans by the two councils to spend £2.275 million from the previous government’s Safer Roads Fund to bring about “significant reductions in fatal and serious injuries”.
A joint report on the consultation said: “Proposed 20mph restrictions are highly contentious. “Drivers were much less supportive than people who mainly use active travel.
“Bristol residents were more supportive than South Gloucestershire residents.
“Many recognised speeding issues along the route, but concerns focused on a minority driving well above limits; some did not see lower limits as the best way to address this.”
There was overall support for 20mph limits proposed on residential roads leading off Badminton Road, including Blackhorse Lane, Westbourne Road, Aintree Drive and Sutherland Avenue.
These were backed by 49.6% of respondents and opposed by 39.2%, with the others not expressing a preference.
But the 20mph limits proposed for three stretches of the A432 were all opposed by a majority.
The Badminton Road proposals were opposed by 61.8% of respondents, with 30.9% in favour. The proportion opposed rose to 76.6% when only south Gloucestershire residents were counted.
A planned 20mph limit between the Cleeve Hill traffic lights and Cassell Road was opposed by 53.7%, with 37.3% in favour.
Plans to reduce the limit on Fishponds Road between Lodge Causeway and Muller Road were opposed by 51.6% and supported by 38.8% – but were supported by 60.8% of Bristol residents.
The report found 51% of survey respondents said they lived in South Gloucestershire, 35.9% in Bristol and 13.1% either lived elsewhere or didn’t say. Half of the South Gloucestershire residents lived in the Frenchay & Downend ward and another 36% lived in either Emersons Green or Staple Hill & Mangotsfield.
More were aged between 35 and 64, and 61.3% were men.
The report found 95% of South Gloucestershire residents who responded to the survey were drivers, compared with 80% of Bristol residents.
Announcing the report’s publication in June, South Gloucestershire Council said: “We’ll refine the plans for South Glos’s part of the route and hold Traffic Regulation Order consultations, which are needed to make certain changes to the highway, ahead of any work taking place.”