A CALL to allow Essex County Council to impose a blanket restriction of 20mph across the county on residential streets has been shot down.

Moved by Colchester councillor Dave Harris and seconded by Lee Scordis the motion from the Labour group had wanted the council to implement a council-wide 20mph speed limit on residential roads as “soon as is practically possible”.

If implemented it would have followed the Welsh Government that says the policy there results in  40 per cent fewer collisions, up to 10 lives saved and up to 2,000 people avoiding injury every year. It says the change also makes streets safer for playing, walking and cycling.

The Essex County Council labour group motion added: “Establishing 20mph limits in roads with schools should be treated as a priority. This measure should be comprehensive and cover all residential roads unless there are specific exceptions which would make this inappropriate.”

It also wanted to see an all-party working group to oversee the implementation of the policy and to help advise roads where the lower speed limit may not be appropriate.

However, Essex County Council full council heard from the Tory administration that a blanket 20 mph restriction would be too prescriptive and that the current process of getting 20 mph scheme implemented through local highways panels left applications in limbo for too long.

Mr Scordis said: “I imagine we have had calls from residents who are very upset that drivers will use their road which is an estate road as a cut-through to avoid a main arterial road.

“We are not suggesting the main arterial roads as 20 mph, just the estate roads.

“Some of you may be able to remember a time when children were able to play on the road. We are not at that stage any more where the car has become the king in Essex.”

Councillor Tom Cunningham, cabinet member for highways said: “I do share the sentiment of many of my colleagues who can’t support this motion because of the imposition of the one-size-fits-all approach. One size does not fit all – particularly to do with these matters.”

He added: “I fully accept the check and challenge that has been offered in this debate about the local highways panels and that is one of the reasons we will review the local highways panel to try and ensure that schemes such as these that members have referred to can be delivered quicker.,”

The motion failed by a majority decision.