Mixed views over 20mph plans for Easebourne

They listened to a proposal from Midhurst town councillor Peter Field who wants to launch a ‘20 is plenty’ campaign to bring a blanket 20 mph speed limit through Easebourne and Midhurst including the main A272 and A286 roads.

Parish councillors agreed a lower speed limit would be a good idea around the entrance to the schools, particularly Easebourne Street which did not have footpaths.

But councillors did not think it would be suitable to impose a 20 mph limit on the main roads.

They said they were waiting for the limit on the A286 from Egmont Road to the north of Budgenor Lodge to be reduced from 40mph to 30mph.

Parish councillors said they would watch with interest to see motorists’ reactions to the new speed limit.

They felt a speed limit would be effective only if it was diligently enforced by police.

Mr Field first raised the idea of a 20mph speed limit at Midhurst Town Council last month (February).

He told fellow councillors he believed the time was right to join the national ‘20 is plenty’ campaign with the current building of the 1,500 pupil academy scheduled to open next year and the setting up of the new national park.

Both were bound to bring more people to the area, he said, making road safety an even more important issue.

His plan is to join the national ‘20 is plenty’ campaign alongside Chichester which has just launched its own bid for a 20 mph speed limit.

He said the idea was that each area ran its own campaign, but individual campaigners had the backing of the national body to advise on how to go forward.