Lower 20mph limits could cause request 'tsunami'

Bids to reduce speed limits in towns and villages across Gloucestershire could overwhelm council officers, a meeting has heard.
Lisa Spivey, the leader of Gloucestershire County Council, pledged to bring in the speed zones to improve "road safety" and make residents feel more "comfortable".
But at a recent meeting, the council's economy and environment chief Colin Chick said he feared the idea would lead to a "tsunami of requests".
"We are completely overwhelmed at the moment," Mr Chick told the meeting, adding detail on the complication of getting a speed limit changed.

"The difficulty is going to be dealing with it. And having the resources available while continuing to do our everyday work," Mr Chick added.
"We are absolutely struggling to keep our heads above water.
"To then have this, I think it will be a tsunami of requests coming in.
"Each one will require a site visit and we'll have to look at the accident data. No small job, those two alone.
"Every single one will require a traffic order to be made."
One of the areas under proposal for a 20mph zone is the A4135 in Dursley between Cedar Drive and Henlow Drive.
But, resident Mike Softley, 72, said it wasn't needed as "people don't have time to get to 30mph" driving through Dursley.
Green Party Councillor Dr Richard Dean, representing Dursley, said he is a "big supporter of the 20mph speed reductions".
He said there had been 12 road incidents in Dursley since 2020 - five of them serious - but urged the council to include the area around Rednock School.
"There are these hidden effects of traffic on mental health including sleeplessness, anxiety and depression which leads into physical illnesses, this should be taken into account when thinking about traffic regulations," he added.
But Dursley Town Council said it has "raised a number of concerns" over the proposals and could not support it in its current form.
Ms Spivey said after the local elections in May 2025 that she wanted to consult with town and parish councils to find areas where 20mph limits were welcomed.
Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.