Persuading County Councillors to agree a 20mph limit policy for the entire County is likely to be more successful than lobbying for each settlement. 20’s Plenty urge campaigners in Counties to work together with a united, powerful voice.

London Boroughs and urban unitary authorities tended to be the early adopters of 20mph limits in the UK. county and rural councils such as Lancashire,  Sefton, Clackmannanshire and Fife also have a wide area 20mph policy.  However, progress in other County Councils has been more modest and characterised by a few places going 20mph town by town.  It’s time to increase the urgency on County Councils through co-ordinated pressure.

20’s Plenty for Us think having an agreed point of contact for a County means more efficient, joined up campaigning. Some Counties already have coordinated 20mph campaigning including Shropshire, Kent, North Yorkshire, North Staffordshire and North Gwent. Groups in Essex and Surrey are investigating joint tactics too.  

Advantages of Countywide campaigns (versus just localised town/village campaigning) include -

• Sharing county level information about local progress / issues / Councillors and parties in favour.
• Co-ordinated pressure on local politicians to ‘do the right thing’ for everyone, not just their own patch – to change County policy on 20mph.
• Credibility - not just the same old names banging on- but a range of people appealing to Councillors.
• Co-presenting – re asking for slots/ agreeing to co-present at public meetings and on Council Agendas.
• Sharing presentation materials eg a library display, at multiple venues County-wide
• Coordinating media/press work and releases.
• Starting more campaigns and welcoming them – increased likelihood of enticing other local places to set up campaign and having someone to welcome them and update them on the local situation.
• A network - greater support from a network of people with different talents and a shared goal.
• Higher chance of joint funding with public health and of co-ordinated marketing to drivers.
• Better chance of success. When agreed the scheme will be ‘bulk bought’ and therefore cheaper and more effective per person (rather than the old story of limited resources/wait for scarce funding).

If you’d like to get the conversation started on coordinating a County wide 20mph campaign then

• Contact National Campaign Manager Anna Semlyen [email protected] to say so and for help.
• Look to see whether there are other campaign groups nearby at 20splenty.org/20mph_places
• Anna will email everyone in that County to get the conversation started on joining together.
• After a meeting (can be by Skype), then it will be agreed which one or two people will become the lead for that County.
• Anna will help them design a detailed Campaign Plan http://www.20splenty.org/campaign_plan for the County eg on asking for a slot to present to the leading political group of Councillors.
• Countywide leaders then delegate Campaign Plan tasks to others to share the workload.

Rod King MBE, Founder and Director of 20’s Plenty for Us said

“County wide campaigns show united strength. They prove to Councillors that the issue isn’t going away and that there is a concerted effort for wide area 20mph limits for everybody living, working or visiting built up areas.  Band together, because through cooperation you are most likely to win.”

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