Notice of Motion: 20mph speed limits in new developments

Committee report · Place Scrutiny Committee · Thu 27 Nov 2025 · East Sussex County Council

What it recommends

In the report's own words. A recommendation is a proposal: the meeting can agree, change or reject it.

“Place Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:”
“Note that the matter of implementing 20mph speed limits at new development was considered by Place Scrutiny Committee during the 2024/25 Scrutiny Review of Local Speed Limit Policy.”
“Note that the Council’s approach to setting local speed limits is still in line with current Department for Transport guidance and will be reviewed when there are changes to national guidance or policy.”
“Note that, whilst the County Council’s guidance recommends a ‘design speed’ of 20mph for residential roads at new development, there is currently no legal mechanism through which we can implement 20mph limits when adopting new roads.”
“Recommend to Full Council that it supports an amended motion as set out in paragraph 3.5. 1.”

What the meeting decided

The minutes record: Agreed. “RESOLVED by a majority of 7 to 4 to agree the motion put forward by Cllr Tutt. </AI9> <AI10> 26. Work programme 26.1 The Chair introduced the report which outlines future items for the Place Scrutiny Committee. The Committee discussed potential areas of interest in addition to the work programme.” minutes ↗

In plain English

Each sentence was checked against the passage it cites; how the checking works.

Recommended · This went to the meeting on Thu 27 Nov 2025. What was decided is in that meeting's minutes.

Place Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note that implementing 20mph speed limits in new developments was already considered during the Council's 2024/25 Scrutiny Review of Local Speed Limit Policy, and that the Council's approach to setting local speed limits remains in line with current Department for Transport guidance. p6 p7

The Committee is recommended to note that although the County Council's guidance recommends a 20mph 'design speed' for residential roads in new developments, there is currently no legal mechanism to implement a 20mph speed limit when adopting new roads. p8

The Committee is recommended to ask Full Council to support an amended motion stating that residential roads in new developments have maximum speeds of 20mph, and that the Council will make representations to Government to review and update national speed limit policy. p9 p19

Show the 5 passages this is based on

p6(1) Note that the matter of implementing 20mph speed limits at new development was considered by Place Scrutiny Committee during the 2024/25 Scrutiny Review of Local Speed Limit Policy;
p7(2) Note that the Council’s approach to setting local speed limits is still in line with current Department for Transport guidance and will be reviewed when there are changes to national guidance or policy; and
p8(3) Note that, whilst the County Council’s guidance recommends a ‘design speed’ of 20mph for residential roads at new development, there is currently no legal mechanism through which we can implement 20mph limits when adopting new roads
p9(4) Recommend to Full Council that it supports an amended motion as set out in paragraph 3.5.
p19“This Council supports the principle that residential roads in new developments should have maximum speeds of 20mph and agrees to make representations to Government to review and update the national speed limit policy to better reflect the Council’s aspiration of achieving 20mph speed limits in new developments.”

Places and organisations it names

East Sussex County Council

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Place Scrutiny Committee agenda · Committee agenda
Appendix 1 - ESCC Social Value Model Outcomes and MACs Oct 25 · Committee report
Appendix 2 - ESCC draft SV Policy - Proposed Edits for SVM · Committee report
Appendix 3 revised Social Value measure calculation · Committee report
Appx 1 - Call in request · Committee report
Appx 2 - LMTE 10 November 2025 Hastings Registration Office Relocation · Committee report
Appx 3 - LMTE 101125 Minutes · Committee report
Appx 4 - Departmental response to Call in request · Committee report
Appx 5 - Hastings Register Office Equality Impact Assessment · Committee report
Call-in: Decision made by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment regarding the proposed relocation of Hastings Register Office · Committee report
East Sussex On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging Network · Committee report
Minutes of the previous meeting · Committee report
November 2025 Cabinet report and appendices · Committee report
Place Committee work programme v91 Nov 2025 · Committee report
Place Scrutiny Committee minutes · Committee minutes
Printed plan Forward Plan 1 November 2025 - 28 February 2026 Forward Plan · Committee report
Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) · Committee report
Scrutiny Review of Procurement: Social Value and Buying Local · Committee report
Work programme · Committee report

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