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Hungerford High Street could have 20mph speed limit




The measure would aim to protect shoppers and pedestrians

A 20 miles per hour speed limit could be introduced to Hungerford’s High Street as a temporary measure to protect pedestrians and queuing shoppers.

As shops, restaurants and cafés gradually reopen and footfall and traffic in the town is set to increase, Hungerford Town Council is putting in measures to both enforce social distancing and maintain the safety of shoppers.

These actions include a series of signs and sprayed-on two-metre distancing on footways, for the canal footbridge to have distancing signage rather than two lanes and the suspension of parking outside Coffee#1.

Perhaps the most significant of these measures is a temporary reduced speed limit for the High Street, although, as this must be done by West Berkshire Council, the town council has written a letter to request the limit be introduced.

This is actually the second time that the town council has made the request after the district council previously refused on the basis that there were enough disruptions already to free-flowing traffic and that a 20mph speed limit would potentially be ignored anyway.

In an extra full council meeting on Tuesday morning, Hungerford Town councillors discussed the effect of a reduced speed limit in Kintbury and Marlborough before deciding to make their request again following support from local businesses.

After the meeting, town mayor Helen Simpson said: “We want to introduce a temporary 20 miles per hour speed limit through the town because we think it would help motorists be more aware of other road users and pedestrians that are stood in places they’re not normally stood.

“Most of the businesses we spoke to supported it and were happy we brought it up.

“Initially when councillor Hudson spoke to West Berkshire Council, they didn’t think it was a viable option, but I don’t think it hurts to ask again and show the support we’ve had from local businesses and residents.”



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