Wokingham Borough Safer streets pilots go out to consultation
Wokingham Borough's Liberal Democrat-run council is acting to make local roads safer for everyone. Lower speed limits are proposed for five pilot areas, and residents have until 9 November to give their views.
The five proposed areas are Wokingham town centre and Norreys Avenue, Twyford village centre and surrounding streets, Finchampstead village, Silverdale Road in Earley, and rural roads at Hare Hatch. Most of the proposals are 20mph limits, some rural roads would drop to 30mph.
The areas were chosen from a public call for suggestions earlier this year. The council received 1,911 suggestions from 841 residents, plus priorities from the borough's town and parish councils. These were grouped into 76 possible areas and scored against six criteria, including evidence of a road safety problem, the likely safety improvement, and local support. The full scoring is published alongside the consultation.
This is not a blanket change. The pilots cover town and village centres, residential streets and rural lanes. They were picked as a mix of a town centre, village centres, a residential area and rural roads, to help shape future phases.
The need is clear. Last year, 253 people were injured on the borough's roads, around five a week. Lower speeds give everyone more time to react, cutting both the chance of a collision and how serious it is. They also make streets calmer and quieter for the people who live on them, and make it easier to choose to walk, wheel or cycle short local trips - reducing congestion for everyone.
The programme follows the speed limit policy adopted in January 2026 and the Vision Zero commitment in the council's Local Transport Plan.
Cllr Adrian Betteridge, Executive Member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways, said:
"We promised residents we'd act to make our streets safer for everyone who uses them, and these proposals are an important first step. Every week around five people are hurt on our roads, people say they don;t feel safe walking or cycling in our area, and that is something we're not prepared to accept.
"Residents and town and parish councils told us where they thought speed limits were too high, and we focused on the places where people live, shop and take their children to school. The aim is the right limit in the right place, not a blanket change.
"This is just the first phase, and we really want to hear from you. Whether you support the plans or have concerns, please look at the maps and tell us what you think before 9 November."
The consultation, maps and full assessment of all 76 areas can be found at Wokingham Borough Council website safer streets consultation information (opens in new window). The survey closes on 9 November 2026.