New applications for 20mph schemes were agreed at Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee today (Tuesday, 14 October).
Local community groups and Parish and Town Councils were invited by the council to apply for funding to introduce 20mph speed limits in their areas, to make streets safer for residents and encourage active travel.
£160,000 has been allocated for 2025-26, and all the schemes that were approved will be fully funded by the council. Prior to today’s committee meeting, applications were scored by officers then reviewed by a cross-party councillor working group.
Either a 20mph limit or a 20mph zone will be installed in the approved areas, depending on location - a 20mph limit typically covers a small number of streets and only involves signs, 20mph zones cover larger areas and require both signs and road markings.
The council received a total of 95 applications from across the county, of these, 11 were successful.
Areas approved for 20mph schemes were:
- South Cambridgeshire: Barrington, Comberton, Landbeach, Harston, Madingley, Milton and Newton (all approved for village-wide schemes).
- Huntingdonshire: Offord Cluny and Offord Darcy (village-wide), and Waresley (multiple roads).
- East Cambridgeshire: Wilburton (village-wide), Sutton (multiple roads).
Following approval at committee, further informal and statutory consultation will be carried out with the successful applicants and their respective communities before the final schemes are agreed. Those applications not funded will stay on the priority list for future funding rounds. The next round will reopen in January 2026.
On-site delivery of the approved schemes is expected to begin late summer 2026 and continue through to spring 2027.
Cllr Alex Beckett, Chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council said: “I’m pleased to see the continued high numbers of applications from across the county. Our funding for 20mph schemes empowers local communities to make their streets safer, while encouraging healthier, more active travel.
“We know that a reduction of just 1mph can cut fatal accidents by 2-3% - a pedestrian hit at 20mph has a 90% chance of survival compared with 50% at 30mph, and evidence shows casualty reductions of over 20% in areas with 20mph limits.
“I’m extremely proud of this programme, which supports the council’s ambition to make travel across the county safer and more environmentally sustainable.”
The papers for the meeting, including a full list of the schemes, can be found on the council’s website. The meeting was live streamed on the council’s YouTube channel
