Good afternoon Community Councils,
I hope this finds you all well. The purpose of this email is to engage with your Community Council re the ongoing 20mph pilot programme that is running in Highland – full details for the programme, settlements, background information, TTRO and the road to permanence can be found on our webpages at www.highland.gov.uk/20mph.
Criteria
The assessment criteria provided to Highland Council by Transport Scotland used for assessing settlements for inclusion in the programme can be found herehttps://www.highland.gov.uk/info/1523/transport_and_streets/1049/20mph_programme/4
TTRO Process/Timescales
As you are likely aware this Highland Council reduced speed limit roll out has been delivered using a Temporary Road Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) which is valid for a period of 18 months and runs till 31st January 2025. The Council are required to go through the full statutory process for the making of the permanent Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and it is scheduled that this process will begin in September this year, Community Councils will have the opportunity to comment on the formal TRO when it is published.
The Road Safety Team however felt it was important to engage with Community Council’s prior to this formal consultation starting and provide you with the platform to make any comment you wish to re the early adoption of 20 mph speed limits programme in your wards.
Post Implementation Assessment Criteria
A simplified version of Transport Scotland’s ‘Measurement of Success’ post implementation assessment criteria given to highland Council against which all 125 settlements in the Council Area have been assessed is as follows:
| Recorded Mean Average Speeds | Action Required |
| Mean average speeds ≤ 25mph | No further action required, proceed to final TRO. |
| Mean average speed 25.1mph – 28mph | Further speed management measures to be considered and either proceed to TRO or review for removal. |
| Mean average speed ≥ 28mph | Is the road appropriate for a 20 mph speed limit? Is there community support for a 20 mph speed limit? Consideration for implementation of Engineering solutions if there is the community will to retain the 20mph speed limit.Revert limit back to 30 mph? |
Highland Wide Picture
Following on from the informal wider public consultation that the Council undertook in Dec ‘23/Jan ’24 the following has been undertaken:
- The Road Safety Team have now carried out assessments, and provided recommendations, for all 125 settlements included in the current TTRO.
- These assessments were undertaken using both the Transport Scotland Criteria along with the feedback from the Informal Public Consultation undertaken at the end of 2023/beginning of 2024 along with public correspondence the Road Safety Team has received out with this.
- The Road Safety Team have met with each Area Roads Operations Manager to discuss these assessments and come to a final agreement from a road’s perspective.
- Elected Members have been informed of the assessment outcomes and have had chance to comment on them.
- Out of the 125 settlements that have changed, the recommendations to date are as follows:
- 82 settlements proceed straight to the final TRO with no additional infrastructure requirements.
- 24 settlements requiring soft measures (e.g. installation of 20mph roundels, speed indication device signage) and then proceeding to inclusion in final TRO.
- 19 settlements with locations within them that are not achieving the desired speed result and require review.
Aird & Loch Ness
All plans for 20mph schemes in Aird & Loch Ness can be found here:
https://www.highland.gov.uk/directory/72/locations_for_20mph_programme/category/574
I am pleased to provide you with the details re the assessments that have been carried out on the temporary 20 mph speed limits that have been in place in Aird & Loch Ness since last summer and the recommendations we are looking to take forward into the final Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
We can confirm that all settlements in Aird & Loch Ness have now been assessed against the criteria provided by Transport Scotland and agreements reached with the local Area Roads Team.
Recommendations
The roads in Aird & Loch Ness that are subject to review are as follows (the recommendation is for all other roads to remain at 20mph).
All data in relation to the following roads for discussion is contained in the attached PowerPoint presentation.
| A831 Drumnadrochit | The recorded after speeds are higher than we would wish to see at this location. Our assessment is that this location is very much dependant on how the Trunk Road Authority choose to progress with their 20mph limit on the A82. Should this be retained we are happy to leave the 20mph speed limit on the A831 and further investigate ways in which better compliance can be achieved. Should they choose to revert the A82 back to a 30mph limit it makes sense for the A831 to match this to aid speed limit consistency. |
| B862 Dores | The recorded speeds on this section of road are higher than we would wish to see with regards to 20mph compliance and very much indicate the criteria for 20mph implementation is not fully met along this section of road. We have undertaken targeted resident consultation, results in the PowerPoint attached and discussed this with the elevated members. Taking these views into consideration we are happy for this stretch of road to remail at 20mph and investigate ways in which we can better achieve speed compliance. |
We are happy to receive any thoughts/comments on the above that Community Councils would like to make prior to the commencement of the statutory consultation process that is due to begin in early September 2024.
All responses should be sent to [email protected].
Should you feel we have missed any local Community Councils off the distribution list I would be grateful if you can let us know.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Lisa
Lisa MacKellaich
Road Safety Manager
Highland Council – Infrastructure and Environment
Road Safety Team
Glenurquhart Road,
Inverness, IV3 5NX
Tel: +44 (0)1463 702009
Mob: 07717425218