PLANS to reduce the speed limit of a stretch of road in Lochfoot and convert it into a ‘buffer zone’ have sparked controversy.
The C1s Old Military Road currently has a speed limit of 60mph, but this is set to be reduced to 40mph as part of a package of traffic calming measures in the village.
A temporary 20mph speed limit was implemented at Lochrutton Primary School in the village in December 2022, and it was agreed that the roads around the schools would also be assessed for potential traffic calming measures.
Dumfries and Galloway Council then posted a public notice on June 14 this year advertising plans to make the 20mph school limit permanent – but also reduce the limit on the nearby C1s Old Military Road to 40mph.
A member of the public, who has not been named in council papers, has lodged a formal objection to these plans on the grounds that the 40mph limit is “inappropriate and unnecessary”.
The resident wrote: “Speed limits should be evidence-led and seek to reinforce people’s assessment of what is a safe maximum speed to travel at and encourage self-compliance.
“Speed limits are primarily associated with built-up areas. The setting of the road should therefore be an important factor when setting a speed limit.
“The proposed speed limit on the C1s Old Military Road applies to a length of rural road with no development or accesses on either side of it. There is therefore no justification for any speed limit here, other than the national limit of 60mph.”
Anthony Topping, the council’s team leader for network strategy and road safety, wrote a letter in response to the complaining resident.
Both documents will be considered by councillors when the matter is discussed at the Stewartry Area Committee next week.
Mr Topping wrote: “Due to local concerns of speeding on this stretch of the C1s Old Military Road, it was decided that a 40mph speed limit would be introduced as a ‘buffer zone’ to help reduce the speed of vehicles entering the village.
“This was assessed and agreed after consultation with the various stakeholders involved. This was more favourable than countdown signs as it is a C class road with narrow verges.
“Buffer zones are used to address concerns in some locations about the dramatic change in speed limits, for instance with some villages seeing the limit go straight from 60mph to 20mph.
“This was the case in the Scottish Borders and in Wales when they introduced their respective 20mph programmes.
“Buffer zones are now nationally recognised as a means to introduce a stepped changes in speed limits when approaching communities.”
