Highland 20mph speed limits opponent calls for public to have their say
A prominent vocal opponent of reduced 20mph limits in Highland communities has urged people to make their voices heard when consultation over making them permanent is launched next week.
Highland Council has introduced the ‘temporary’ reduced limit in 125 Highland communities since it began a pilot in July 2023.
And it signalled its intent last week to make the reduced limits permanent after moving to extend the duration of the traffic orders that enable the temporary 20mph speeds.
They had been due to expire in January, but will now extend for a further six months while the council seeks public views on its plans to make the measures permanent.
Advocates point to statistics showing that pedestrians struck by vehicles travelling at 20mph are more likely to survive than those that are hit at 30mph - and stress that that limits will save lives.
However, critics have hit out at the cost of introducing the limits, and argued that they extend journey times in rural communities.
One of the leading Highland opponents is Ruraidh Stewart, a councillor for the Skye & Raasay ward and leader of the Tory Group on Highland Council.
Speaking in a release issued by him, he has launched a scathing critique of the administration’s handling of the 20mph scheme.
He claims that rural wards like his will be “disproportionately affected”.
"For rural areas across Highland, where journey times are already long, this ill-conceived policy adds unnecessary delays and hardships," he stated. "This scheme exemplifies the administration’s inability to grasp the realities of rural life and their neglect of genuine community needs."
Cllr Stewart also pointed to Highland Council’s data, which showed that average speeds have dropped by 1.7mph in areas where the pilot was introduced - with averages before the 20mph limits ranging from between 22mph and 27mph, and those following its introduction ranging from 21mph to just shy of 25mph.
He said: "This is an abysmal return on almost half a million pounds of taxpayers' money.”
He pointed to the first consultation on the scheme, which the release issued by the councillor said had revealed “only 17 per cent of residents support the scheme, with an even smaller 15 per cent recognising any tangible benefits”.
The councillor concluded: "The figures speak for themselves—this is a monumental failure that cannot be justified."
The percentages the councillor’s release quoted were from previous consultation surveys carried out over a six week window at the end of 2023.
They did show only 17 per cent of people said "yes" to the question "do you support the introduction of 20mph in your area?" but they also had a further 24 per cent who answered "somewhat", meaning that the percentage of those in favour in full or in part was 41 per cent, with 59 per cent opposed. This was from a survey response population of 7,618 people.
Citing the size of the drop in average speeds, the councillor described the initiative as a "shocking waste of taxpayers' money" and "an utter failure," arguing that the cost to date of £450,189 did not account for the time spent on the scheme by council officers,
"Highland taxpayers deserve full transparency, yet they are left in the dark about the true cost of this farcical scheme," he said. "It’s nothing short of scandalous that the council continues to waste public money while refusing to provide answers."
Cllr Stewart also argued that the council had failed to account for the costs of reversing the interventions should the scheme not go ahead. "Despite being asked, the council has admitted it doesn’t know how much it would cost to remove the 20mph stickers and road markings.”
He also accused the council of revisiting the consultation process because the initial public feedback was not what “they wanted”.
"When they didn’t get the answer they wanted, they simply decided to consult again,” he said. “It’s the classic 'if at first you don’t succeed, consult, consult again' approach," he said. "This isn’t about genuine engagement; it reeks of the Academy Street debacle, consulting for the sake of it rather than taking public opinion seriously."
Cllr Stewart slammed the public consultation process as a "cynical box-ticking exercise," accusing the administration of ignoring overwhelming opposition. "The voices of the public have been totally disregarded, exposing the council’s claims to be a 'listening council' as hollow rhetoric," he said.
Cllr Stewart is committed to opposing the scheme: "I have repeatedly called on the administration to scrap this ill-judged scheme and will not stop until they listen to reason." He urged Highland residents to participate in this consultation which opens on January 6.
"This is a further opportunity to demand accountability from an administration that has ignored public opinion for far too long. Make your voice heard and insist on change."
