Confusion as 20mph speed limit signs are placed on A96 in Nairn and removed in less than 2 days

MOTORISTS driving through Nairn were caught by surprise on Wednesday as a series of new 20mph speed limit signs had been installed on the A96 section going through the town.

Residents took on social media in rising confusion over the new development as the signs were then removed the following day.

When asked by The Inverness Courier about the signage in place, both Highland Council and Transport Scotland replied that they expected works to start in the coming months despite the signs being already in place.

A Highland Council spokesman said: “The Trunk Road elements of the 20mph roll out have been delayed slightly. This is due to the order being promoted by Transport Scotland for the trunk road elements. We do not have a set date yet on when this element will be delivered but possibly end of August or start of September."

A Transport Scotland spokesperson added: "Transport Scotland is working closely with Highland Council in regard to 20mph speed limits on trunk roads across the Council area. The necessary legal documents for a proposed 20mph speed limit on the A96 at Nairn, which has been developed in conjunction with Highland Council, are currently being prepared and the relevant signs will be implemented as soon as possible."

In November last year, Highland Council had announced the rollout of 20mph areas across the region, sharing a map of the areas involved in February – in which however the A96 was shown as not being part of the new scheme.

However a new revised plan was published by Highland Council in late May (and shared with the public in June) which stated that Transport Scotland would be "promoted by" Transport Scotland and therefore part of the road passing through Nairn would be included in the trial.

Commenting after the signs were installed, Nairn councillor Paul Oldam said: "I'm not entirely convinced that 20mph speed limits throughout the whole of Nairn are really required but it's certainly overdue in some parts of town judging by the demands for it we are getting from residents and having a uniform limit through the whole town, including the A96, should make it easier for drivers as they don't have to keep worrying if they're exceeding the limit.

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"Community councils will be surveyed in the coming months for their experiences of the trial, school pupils and parents will also be surveyed, and a full public consultation will take place in spring 2024 before a decision at made in 2025 as to which schemes to retain and which should be removed. So if, after experiencing the scheme for a while, residents aren't happy they should ensure that they contribute to the consultation."

The full details of the programme and the areas to which the new limits will be implemented can all be found at www.highland.gov.uk/20mph.

Highland Council was contacted about the cause for the instalment and removal of the signs.

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