Highway officers are one year on from the last county 20mph policy review still telling communities they require serious injuries or deaths before new 20mph limits are put in place.

Cllr Duncan authored a Road Safety survey asking voters in 2022 what they thought about the 20s plenty campaign.

He must have had good feedback, because he wasted no time after the election to arrange a meeting with Rod King MBE, the Founder of 20s plenty, and myself.

In Conservative controlled Cornwall the support is 76% in the urban area and 85% in the rural area in phase one, and they have budgeted £3.8million to cover the rest of the county over three years, so delighted they are with early results.

Doncaster have just budgeted £1m to fulfill their default 20mph policy, and Manchester have just agreed to do their streets too, to reduce air pollution, fuel costs, casualties and improve walking and cycling rates. Wales and Scotland are rolling this out too.

Will Cllr Duncan challenge the Executive to value pedestrian safety, just as seatbelt law protects car occupants when observed: with 20mph speed limits in built up areas that genuinely protect more pedestrians from their concerns, and follow the evidence and popular support for default 20mph limits?

Edinburgh (33% reduced casualties) and Calderdale (30-40%) showed how successful such policies can be.

We have a golden opportunity now for quieter streets, improved health and quality of life for our residents, taking away the fear of being hit that blights our county’s elderly, children, disabled and cyclists.

Thirty miles per hour is no longer fit for purpose, it’s time to embrace 20mph as the new normal.

Keane can choose to use a small proportion of his Highways capital spending, just £5 a head, to benefit where we live, walk, cycle, go to school, shop, work and play.

Ian Conlan, Malton