Council confirms plans to roll out 20 community-backed 20mph speed limits across the area in 2025 in a bid to make roads safer.
Following an extensive consultation process, over 3,000 residents shaped the 20mph schemes that will now advance onto statutory consultation.
Designed based on clear Department for Transport guidance, the schemes will create safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. They focus on areas in built up towns and villages with a current maximum speed limit of 40mph.
Three quarters (75%) of respondents supported the general principle of lower speed limits and the schemes that will be introduced to make areas “safer for everyone especially children” and create environments where “young people and [the elderly] can walk outdoors freely without the worry of an accident caused by a speeding car or lorry.”
Respondents also reported the introduction of 20mph limits would reduce speeding in the extent of the schemes, sharing they “are now essential for pedestrian safety” and will “address not only speed, but declining air quality and car parking issues.” Another commented “everyone is in too much of a hurry. We all need to slow down.”
Of the 27 20mph speed limits initially proposed for delivery in 2025, 10 schemes will proceed as originally designed, while 10 will be amended based on community feedback. The remaining 7 proposals will not move forward, reflecting the Council's commitment to listening to the views of residents on 20mph speed limits.
Statutory consultation and advertisement of the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO), the legal process required to change speed limits, will soon start. This will give residents a final opportunity to share their views on the detailed final designs before any scheme is rolled out.
Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT, Cllr Peter Thornton said: "Introducing 20mph speed limits in the right places is about supporting local communities to make roads safer, reduce congestion and vehicle pollution, and to make it easier to walk, wheel and cycle.
"When we launched our 20mph policy to make it easier for communities to apply for lower speed limits, we committed to putting residents' views at the heart of our plans. After extensive consultation and feedback from over 3,000 residents, we are proud to say we are only moving forward with schemes where clear community support is evident. We are reshaping the designs of half of the proposed schemes based on feedback.
"Our 20mph initiative is focused on delivering safer, more sustainable roads that benefit everyone in Westmorland and Furness. We look forward to continuing to work with residents and stakeholders to make these improvements a reality."
The outcome was as follows:
Furness
Plans to introduce 20mph speed limits in five areas of Barrow including Hawcoat, Newbarns, Ormsgill, Roosecote, and Walney North will not go ahead after Westmorland and Furness Council received minimal support from residents. Despite delivering consultation letters to over 10,000 households and actively promoting the plans online and in communities, only 700 people responded—an "extremely low" figure given the population size.
At the Furness Locality Board, councillors acknowledged the lack of strong public backing and agreed the proposed schemes were not the right fit for these communities.
Instead, the Council will shift focus and explore different road safety priorities, particularly around schools, and will assess specific concerns raised by residents. A final decision on Barrow’s wider 20mph speed limit programme, set to roll out in 2025/26 and 2026/27, has now been paused until April to allow for further consideration.
Eden
A total of 11 out of 12 proposed 20mph schemes will go ahead in Eden, benefiting the community by creating a safer environments for schools, a busy section of the A592 which is popular with tourists, and a village green with an unfenced play area.
With strong support from residents, the schemes for Crosby Ravensworth, Dufton, Kings Meaburn, Nenthead, and Ousby, will move ahead as planned.
Amendments to 20mph scheme designs in Askham, Glenridding, Orton, Patterdale, Ravenstonedale and Temple Sowerby will ensure they best meet community needs raised in the consultation.
The proposed scheme for Melmerby will not proceed after consultation results showed a clear lack of support. With the majority of responses opposing the plans, Westmorland and Furness Council has decided not to take the scheme forward at this time.
South Lakeland
A total of 9 out of 10 proposed 20mph schemes will go ahead in South Lakeland, benefiting the community by creating safer environments outside schools and outdoor play areas nearby the road.
Plans will continue for 20mph speed limits in Gleaston, Great and Little Urswick, Natland, Oxenholme, and Swarthmoor following clear support from respondents.
Amendments to 20mph scheme designs in Allithwaite, Ambleside, Coniston and Sedgwick will ensure they best meet community needs raised in the consultation.
The proposal for Bowness-on-Windermere did not receive sufficient support, with a significant proportion of responses opposing the 20mph speed limit and as a result, will not be progressed at this time.
Requests for the limits came through a new streamlined route launched by Westmorland and Furness Council in December 2023 which made it easier and quicker for communities to submit applications for 20mph. The new approach accelerated the application process by several months, leading to 49 requests covering 79 proposed schemes across the area.
Alongside the 20 confirmed 20mph limits set for implementation this year, an additional 36 eligible schemes, 16 in Eden and 20 in South Lakeland, have been prioritised for delivery over the next two years. Furness Locality Board is set to approve a proposed programme at their meeting in April 2025 following the recent decision to reconsider the priorities for the area.
For more information visit www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/20mph.
