Westmorland and Furness Council has awarded an £80,886 contract for the installation of road signs needed to complete the second phase of its 20mph speed limit programme across the former Eden area.
The contract, valued at £80,886.82 excluding VAT, was approved by the council’s Traffic Manager on 29 July following a procurement exercise in which three suppliers were invited to submit quotations. The highest-scoring contractor was selected following evaluation and moderation.
The second phase of the programme includes approved schemes at Clifton, Gamblesby, Glassonby, Great Asby, Greystoke, Penrith, Sockbridge and Tirril, and Stainton.
The council says the decision to use an external contractor follows the experience of the first phase, where signage was predominantly installed by its own Highways Operations teams. While that allowed the first schemes to be delivered, it placed additional pressure on council staff and affected their ability to carry out other planned highway works.
For phase two, the council decided to procure the installation works through a Engineering and Construction Short Contract in order to maintain progress on the 20mph programme while allowing its own highways teams to continue with other work.
The council says the 20mph schemes were subject to consultation before being approved, with the Traffic Management team carrying out what it describes as extensive consultation to establish community support for the proposals.
In Penrith, a total of 9,294 individual notifications resulted in 764 responses, with 730 of those from respondents who registered a postcode within Penrith itself.
Of the responses, 46 per cent were in support, 14 per cent were in support with amendments and 40 per cent were against.
The Penrith proposals cover Strickland Gate, Brunswick Road, Huntley Avenue, Clifford Road, Wetheriggs Lane, Fell Lane, Benson Row, Barco Avenue, Carleton Drive, all roads in the New Streets area of Penrith including Lowther Street, Wordsworth Street and Graham Street, Portland Place, Hunter Lane, Queen Street and all residential streets in the north of Penrith, including Penny Hill Park, Raiselands Croft, Centurion Rise and Macadam Way.
Cllr Peter Thornton, Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT, said: "By reducing speed limits in key areas, we will not only improve safety, but also encourage walking and cycling, contributing to a healthier, more sustainable environment. But schemes will only be introduced if wider support from residents can be demonstrated."
Funding for the contract will come from the council’s Priority Investment Fund, with £136,000 set aside for the delivery of the new 20mph speed limits in communities that support the implementation, alongside funding allocated from the council’s Second Homes council tax charge.
The council says that phase two of the 20mph schemes requires significant installation resources across the eight locations and is larger in scale than many of the phase one schemes introduced by the council last year. The alternative of carrying out the work using council highways staff was rejected because of the pressure it would place on the council’s existing resources.
The 20mph speed limit policy and implementation was an early priority set out by Westmorland and Furness Council when it was established in 2023, with the council saying it was committed to being at the forefront of tackling climate change and the challenges it presents.
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
