POLICE prosecuted around 11,000 drivers for going over the 20mph speed limit rollout in Cornwall last year.

The statistic was mentioned in a Cornwall Council discussion about the progress of the £4.5-million programme.

A meeting of the council’s sustainable growth and place scrutiny committee heard yesterday (Tuesday, October 7) that the majority of responses from public consultations about delivering 20mph zones across Cornwall were “mostly positive” apart from one exception … St Austell.

A report to the committee by the lead officer for the 20mph rollout said: “The Cornwall-wide 20mph programme has been progressing well since inception in 2022, with the majority of areas now implemented. Completion is scheduled for 2027, followed by ongoing monitoring.”

The programme began as a pilot in the Falmouth and Penryn and Camelford areas. Following public consultation where 76 per cent (Falmouth and Penryn) and 86 per cent (Camelford) positive feedback was received, and the measurable reductions in traffic speeds acknowledged at 90 per cent of sites monitored, the council’s cabinet approved the Cornwall-wide programme in March 2023.

The report added: “As with many transport consultations, the number of responses has been relatively low. However, they have been mostly positive with St Austell being the only exception, where objections were just above 50%. The vast majority of objections received stem from perceptions of 20mph limits, rather than the specific proposals.

“To try and address this we seek to reassure communities of our targeted and proportionate approach and share data through our communication and engagement campaigns. Consultation feedback has reinforced the focus on residential areas, with arterial routes remaining at 30mph.”

A concerned St Austell resident contacted us last week following a Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request revealed that the scheme is going ahead in the town despite only 23 per cent of people supporting the move, with 77 per cent objecting. The complainant, who doesn’t want to be named, said: “I’ve recently received a letter from the senior technical and legal specialist for Cormac stating that they intend to go ahead and implement as advertised their latest proposals for 20mph speed limits in the St Austell area.

“This was despite him admitting that objections outnumbered positive responses. They did not publish the actual numbers or percentages of their results. He said they don’t make decisions based on response numbers but on the reasons mentioned in the responses.

“Their reason given for implementing the change was ‘this scheme is a proactive step towards Cornwall Council’s target of zero harm and aims to enhance safety for all road users. The countywide rollout seeks to establish a consistent approach across built-up areas, encouraging behavioural change among drivers. Excluding a large town such as St Austell could significantly undermine this objective’.

“If this is their reasoning for implementing the change then what was the purpose of carrying out the consultation? It served absolutely no purpose, as nothing was going to prevent them implementing this in order to achieve their own wishes and to fall into line with other areas of Cornwall.”

Yesterday’s meeting heard that Falmouth and Penryn have currently seen a 17 per cent reduction in road collisions and a 21 per cent reduction in road casualties, including the complete elimination of fatalities. Camelford has seen even greater reductions over this same period – 57 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.

A representative from Devon and Cornwall Police said the force had prosecuted around 11,000 offences in 20mph limits in Cornwall in 2024 alone.

Cllr Martyn Alvey (Feock & Kea, Conservative) noted that “some people don’t like it, but overall it’s very popular within my division. The feedback is overwhelmingly that it’s a much nicer place to walk around the village now the traffic is slower”.

Cllr Mark Gibbons (Looe East & Deviock, Independent) added: “In an area like London or an urban environment where you’re subject to 20mph for the duration of your two-hour journey it can be quite frustrating, but certainly in an environment where you’re slowing down to enter a residential area it’s been very well received.”

The committee noted the progress made to date in respect of the 20mph scheme and endorsed the continuation of the roll-out across Cornwall