HL Deb 22 July 1957 vol 205 cc1-7
EARL HOWE

My Lords, I beg to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the recent announcement, it can be stated which roads, at present derestricted, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation proposes to make subject to a 40 m.p.h. speed limit; what is the total mileage involved; how many of these 40 m.p.h. speed limits it is now proposed to apply to roads now being reconstructed or due for reconstruction under Ministry of Transport proposals to bring them up to modern standards; whether the application of this 40 m.p.h. speed limit is intended to reduce the average speed of vehicles on roads at present derestricted and, if so, whether it is considered that the roads affected will be unsafe in spite of the huge sums now being spent, or to be spent, on them; whether any estimate has been formed of the cost of the reduction of the average speed of traffic in the case of roads so affected; and whether it is intended to bring these questions before Parliament before bringing them into operation.]

THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD MANCROFT)

My Lords, with your Lordships' concurrence, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the roads in the London Traffic Area, not at present subject to any speed limit but on which it is now proposed to place a speed limit of 40 m.p.h. The total mileage is sixty-five, and this includes five-and-a-half miles of recently constructed or reconstructed road and twelve miles on which reconstruction is due to begin this year.

It is the intention of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee to review the case for a 40 m.p.h. speed limit on the affected roads as they are brought up to modern standards. A 40 m.p.h. speed limit on roads carrying heavy traffic, if properly observed, should permit the maximum flow of traffic with the greatest safety and reduce the dangerous overtaking which now too often takes place. Observations on certain roads included in this list indicate that this speed limit will not greatly affect the speed of driving of the majority of road users, and no economic loss should result. Parliament has already agreed to the principle of an experiment with speed limits of 40 m.p.h. in the London Traffic Area, but the regulations imposing this speed limit on particular lengths are made by statutory instrument, subject to the Negative Resolution procedure.

Following is the List referred to: LIST OF ROADS IN THE LONDON TRAFFIC AREA NOT SUBJECT TO A 30 M.P.H. SPEED LIMIT ON WHICH IT IS PROPOSED TO IMPOSE A 40 M.P.H. SPEED LIMIT.

1.Trunk Road No. 36 (A.406)

  1. (i) From Western Avenue (A.40) in Ealing to the western junction with the London-Edinburgh Trunk Road (A.1) in Finchley.
  2. (ii) From the east junction with the London-Edinburgh Trunk Road (A.1) Finchley to 53 yards north-east of Edge Hill Avenue, Finchley.
  3. (iii) From 50 yards east of Green Lanes (A.105) Southgate to Great Cambridge Road A.10) Edmonton.
  4. (iv) From 16 yards east of Chingford Road to 150 yards east of Hale End Road, Walthamstow.
  5. (v) From High Road, South Woodford eastwards for 130 yards.
  6. (vi) From 130 yards east of High Road, South Woodford to Eastern Avenue (A.12) at Gants Hill, Ilford.

2.Trunk Road No. 9 (A.4)

  1. (i) Between Chiswick High Road and Wood Lane, Osterley.
  2. (ii) Between the Parkway, Cranford and Harlington High Street.
  3. (iii) From the western end of the Colnbrook Roundabout to 98 yards east of Lynwood Avenue, Slough.
  4. (iv) From 120 yards east of Approach Road, Taplow, to 10 yards east of Ellington Road, Taplow.

3.Trunk Road No. 6 (A.3)

  1. (i) From 50 yards east of Josephs Road, Guildford, to 74 yards each of Woodbridge Road and from 135 yards south-west of Bearbarn Road to a point near the railway bridge south of Ash Grove.
  2. (ii) From 110 yards north-east of Burpham Lane to Boxgrove Road.

4.Trunk Road No. 10 (A.40) From Old Oak Road, Acton, to Alperton Lane.

5.Trunk Road No. 12 (A.41)

  1. (i) From 46 yards north of Finchley Road, Hendon, to 18 yards north of Park Road, Hendon.
  2. (ii) From 63 yards north of the south arm of Selbourne Gardens, Hendon, to immedately south of Great North Way (A.1)

6.Trunk Road No. 35 (A.41)

  1. (i) From Barnet Way at Apex Corner to 80 yards north of Glendale Avenue, Hendon.
  2. (ii) From immediately west of Purbrook Avenue, Watford, to 150 yards west of Gammons Lane, Watford.

7.Trunk Road No. 1 (A.1)

  1. (i) From the Great North Road (A.1000) Hornsey to 25 yards east of Greenhalgh Walk, Finchley.
    2. 4
  2. (ii) From 78 yards north-west of western junction with Addison Way, Finchley to a point immediately north of Finchley Lane.
  3. (iii) From 200 yards north of Ellenbrook Lane, Hatfield to 275 yards north-east of Green Lanes, Hatfield.
  4. (iv) From 80 yards south-west of "The Drive" Welwyn Heath to the boundary of the Welwyn Rural District (Boundary of London Traffic Area).

8.Trunk Road No. 31 (A.10)

  1. (i) From 70 yards east of the eastern al m of Waltheof Gardens, Tottenham to the North Circular Road and from existing de-restriction signs near Edmonton Cemetery to approximately 400 yards north of Bullsmoor Lane.
  2. (ii) From 275 yards south of College Road (B.156) to 140 yards north of Church Lane (B.157) Cheshunt

9.The Roundway (A.1080) From 45 yards north of Lordship Lane (A.109) to the Great Cambridge Road (A.10).

10.Trunk Road No. 3 (A.12)

  1. (i) From immediately east of High Street, Wanstead (Wanstead Tube Station) to Ley Street and from 225 yards east of Oaks Lane to 50 yards east of Bawdsey Avenue, Ilford.
  2. (ii) From Mawney Road, Romford to 150 yards west of Heather Avenue.
  3. (iii) From Paynes Bridge to Maylands Way, Harold Wood.
  4. (iv) Between Sawyers Hall Lane and Oliver Road, Brentwood.

11.Trunk Road No. 33 (A.13) From immediately east of Beckton Road, West Ham to just cast of Dover's Corner. Rainham.

12.Trunk Road No. 34 (A.2)

  1. (i) From the L.C.C./Kent boundary near Crown Woods Way to 53 yards east of the eastern parapet of the river bridge at Bourne Road, Bexley.
  2. (ii) From 37 yards east of Heather Drive eastwards to a point 70 yards east of Low-field Street, Dartford.

13.Rochester Way (A.2) Between Lower Jackwood Close, Woolwich and the London County Council boundary.

14.Sidcup Road (A.20) Woolwich

  1. (i) From a point near Eltham Road southwards to a point 90 yards north-west of the western end of the River Quaggy bridge parapet.
  2. (ii) From a point 5 yards east of West Park eastwards to a point 3 yards cast of Mervyn Avenue.

15.Westhorne Avenue (A.205), Woolwich From a point 5 yards east of Burnt Ash Hill north-eastwards to Eltham Road.

16.Cray Avenue (A.224) From Sevenoaks Wav to Court Road (A.224).

17.Oakley Road (A.233), Bromley From Bromley Common (A.21) to Westerham Road (A.233).

18.Westerham Road (A.233) Bromley From Oakley Road (A.233) to Keston Church.

19.Cockfosters Road (A.111)

  1. (i) From 70 yards north of the southern arm of Chalk Lane to 50 yards north of Wagon Road.
  2. (ii) Between Cockfosters Station and 70 yards north of the southern arm of Chalk Lane.

20.Bramley Road and Enfield Road (A.110)

  1. (i) From Prince George Avenue to the last house near Cotswold Way.
  2. (ii) From its junction with Cockfosters Road to its junction with Prince George Avenue.
  3. (iii) From a point near Cotswold Way to the "Jolly Farmer" Public House.

21.Bushey Road (A.298) From near Grand Drive to Kingston By-Pass (A.3).

22.Greenford Road (A.4127 Front 150 yards north of Uxbridge Road, Southall to 150 yards south of Ruislip Road, Ealing.

23.Yeading Lane and Church Road (A.312) From Barnhill Road to Western Avenue.

EARL HOWE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his Answer, may I ask him whether he is quite sure that the standard of construction or reconstruction of modern roads is entirely adequate to modern conditions, if the first thing you have to do is to apply a 40 m.p.h. speed limit to it? It is my submission—and I would ask the noble Lord whether he agrees—that the road construction of modern standard ought to be able to compete with traffic at 40 m.p.h. or 40 m.p.h. plus.

LORD MANCROFT

My Lords, I know that the noble Earl holds this view, and it has been advanced before. There may be something in it. But this is an experiment, and I think it would be as well to see how the experiment goes and whether the noble Earl's hopes or fears are fulfilled. We have not had much experience in this country yet, though they have had considerable experience in America. It has proved satisfactory and helpful there, both in reducing accidents and in maintaining an even flow. We should like to profit by that experience and see whether we cannot have equal advantages in this country.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, would the noble Lord be kind enough to refresh the memory of the House? If my memory is correct, the noble Lord or his colleague, the noble Earl, Lord Selkirk, gave an undertaking to the House that this experiment would be tried in London in so far as the limit on various stretches of road at present restricted to 30 m.p.h. would be increased to 40 m.p.h. My memory does not take me back to an undertaking by the Government that a 40 m.p.h. speed limit would be instituted on roads that had no restriction. Might I also ask the noble Lord again whether my recollection is correct—and I am in the recollection of the House—that this experiment is to be confined to London, and that it cannot be extended outside the London Traffic Area until a report has been made to the House as to the results of the experiment?

LORD MANCROFT

My Lords, the noble Lord is taxing my memory rather far. I am sure he is right on his last point. I think that was a point he himself made in the course of our debates. At the moment it is intended that the experiment should be confined to the London area and the roads principally leading into London. As I say, this is purely an experiment. I do not remember that any undertaking was given that the experiment would be confined to roads hitherto exercising a 30 m.p.h. speed limit. Those roads, of course, are being included in the experiment. It is principally the roads which have no limit which we are now limiting to 40 m.p.h. and with which the noble Earl, Lord Howe, is concerned in his Question. I think it applies to both.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, may I ask this question? My memory is not quite clear, but if it is, no word was said in your Lordships' House when we had the debate that it was intended to restrict roads which were at present unrestricted to a 40 m.p.h. limit. The experiment, so far as I understood it, was that the 30 m.p.h. limit in some cases would be raised to 40 m.p.h. But, to make it clear, if I or the noble Earl, Lord Howe, put down a Question, would the noble Lord be kind enough to answer it?

LORD MANCROFT

Of course I will. I am afraid I cannot carry that in my memory, but I did not think it was confined to one—I thought it included both.

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