Campaigner urges 20mph zone to ease town’s congestion

A campaigner has put forward a bid to reduce the speed limit of several roads to 20mph in an effort to reduce congestion.

Luke Cresswell, of Cross Street, has written to Suffolk County Council with his proposal to reduce speed limits in Cross Street, Church Street and Friars Street in Sudbury.

The 26-year-old has put forward the bid because of the high levels of pollution and congestion caused by the density of traffic through heavily built-up residential areas.

He said: “Months have passed since local people put their views to the highways supremo at Suffolk [County Council], but nothing has changed.

“If anything, pollution and congestion have got worse.

“Rather than debate a multi-million pound bypass, which isn’t included in current government funding plans up to 2120 and may never happen, the time for action is now.”

The bid can only move forward if John Sayers, county councillor for Sudbury, supports it.

The criteria for 20mph speed zones includes traffic speed, road safety and accidents.

Mr Cresswell is calling for an exception to be made.

He added: “It doesn’t make sense to reduce speed just to reduce risk for people hit by cars when the health of local people is being damaged by pollution and congestion, so we’re calling for a rethink of the criteria for 20mph zones.”

Mr Sayers said he was prepared to put funding towards carrying out speed surveys in an attempt to improve quality of life in Sudbury.

“I am very much behind organising some speed surveys,” he said. “I think that is a step in the right direction.”