Twenty 20mph zones are set to be rolled out across parts of Cumbria to help make roads safer.
Westmorland & Furness Council has confirmed that the zones will now move on to the next stage of the process following a consultation which saw over 3,000 people take part.
The schemes 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.
Of the 28 areas initially proposed for delivery in 2025, 10 schemes will proceed as originally designed and 10 will be amended based on community feedback.
The remaining proposals will not move forward.
Statutory consultation and advertisement of the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders, the legal process required to change speed limits, will start soon.
This will give residents a final opportunity to share their views on the detailed final designs before any scheme is rolled out, the council said.
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
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.
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 said it 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.
Schemes for Crosby Ravensworth, Dufton, Kings Meaburn, Nenthead, and Ousby, will move ahead as planned.
Amendments have been made to 20mph scheme designs in Askham, Glenridding, Orton, Patterdale, Ravenstonedale and Temple Sowerby.
The proposed scheme for Melmerby will not proceed after consultation results showed a clear lack of support.
South Lakeland
Nine out of 10 proposed 20mph schemes will go ahead in South Lakeland.
Plans will continue for 20mph speed limits in Gleaston, Great and Little Urswick, Natland, Oxenholme, and Swarthmoor following clear support from respondents.
Amendments have been made to 20mph scheme designs in Allithwaite, Ambleside, Coniston and Sedgwick.
The proposal for Bowness-on-Windermere did not receive sufficient support, with a significant proportion of responses opposing the 20mph speed limit.
