10mph speed limit on London streets

Speed limits on streets in some residential areas of London could be reduced to only 10mph.

Under government-funded proposals to be put to hundreds of home-owners in parts of Ealing and Lambeth, drivers are to be limited to little more than jogging pace in order to encourage children to play in their streets and return residential roads to their pre-war playground status.

The proposals will see the streets turned into so-called Home Zones, where cars are fiercely discouraged and road markings are replaced by pitches for ball games and benches for spectators.

In April, the Government created a £30 million fund to set up 100 Home Zones across the country and has since issued guidelines to councils planning to implement them.

When the Government first announced its support for such schemes two years ago, the speed limit was touted as 20mph. Now the group involved in establishing them in London is intent on setting the limit at only 10mph.

Philip Connolly, London managing director of Living Streets, the Pedestrians Association campaign which is masterminding the plans, said: "The idea is to create living streets for the residents - they are effectively a group of streets where pedestrians have priority. Cars travel at little more than walking pace as road space is reallocated to pedestrians and cyclists."

Another pressure group which has been instrumental in bringing Home Zones into existence is the Children's Play Council. Director Tim Gill said the 10mph limit was a realistic goal. "Drivers need to be aware: speed limit signs and public awareness are important but what really matters is design," he said. "If the look and feel of these streets can be changed then it will alter drivers' behaviour."

He cited figures showing that, under a pilot scheme in Manchester, traffic calming measures succeeded in reducing the average speed of traffic from 17.5mph to nine.

Proposals for Ealing include plans to turn five residential streets into areas where children can play basketball, hopscotch and other games. Parking control measures have already been implemented in the designated area, which includes Hastings, Hartington, Denmark, Arden and Broughton Roads.

In Lambeth, roads in the Brixton Hill area, centred on Holmewood Gardens, have been included and plans are under way to lay down games pitches and install trees and benches.

Brixton residents have been invited by Lambeth council and Living Streets to attend an open day next weekend at which the scheme will be explained. A similar open day, in conjunction with Ealing council, will take place on 24 November. Mr Connolly said: "Home Zones do require the active participation and support of the residents."

Home Zones are an established part of life in parts of Europe. The idea originated in Amsterdam nearly 20 years ago after a journalist saw one of her children killed and another injured by reckless drivers.

Motoring organisations gave a cautious welcome to the idea. The RAC said: "I hope they work, but I don't know how many parents nowadays feel sufficiently safe to allow their children to play outdoors even if you remove the threat of road accidents. And children most at risk of accidents are in the 11-13 age group - who are much less likely than younger children to play near their homes anyway."