THE Green party has hit out at the decision by Shropshire Council not to impose a 20mph speed limit in Ludlow and other towns in the county.

According to the Green party, the decision accepts a totally unacceptable level of risk in the road traffic environment and one that abandons the basic principles of child protection.

They say that a statistic from the Local Government Information Unit says that if someone is in collision with a vehicle travelling at 20mph they are seven times more likely to survive than if it is going 30mph.

“The rejection of 20mph by a majority of Shropshire’s councillors is a major failure of public policy that deprives Shropshire’s pedestrians and cyclists of a huge increase in safety by reducing the risk of collision and reducing the risk of severe injury if an accident does occur,” said Hilary Wendt, co-ordinator for the Green party in Shropshire and their unsuccessful candidate in the December general

election.

“Additionally, adopting 20mph limits is a major public health intervention that increases walking and cycling and is recommended by the World Health Organisation as a ‘must-do’ intervention to reduce obesity, cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. Twenty mph has further health benefits, reducing air pollution and carbon emissions, along with loneliness.”

South Shropshire Green party balloted residents in Church Stretton and Craven Arms on whether they wanted 20mph as the default speed limit on residential roads and shopping streets. This proposal was supported by 91 per cent in Church Stretton and 87 per cent in Craven Arms of those that responded.

“We suggest that Shropshire councillors who voted against this proposal have no logical or evidence-based argument in support of this rejection,” added Ms Wendt.

“It is astonishing that councillors would reject the clear advice of the World Health Organisation and a Royal College, and the Children’s Commissioner.”