CORNWALL Council is proposing to extend the existing 30mph speed limit on a Launceston road, town councillors were told last week.

Town councillors at their meeting on Tuesday, November 15, considered the extension of the speed limit on Tavistock Road, to also apply to where the access would be into the new housing estate being developed at Withnoe.

Cllr Rob Tremain said: “Excellent news. I have attended meetings stood beside Stourscombe roundabout with Stourscombe residents trying to get Cornwall [Council] to accept the need for moving the 30mph speed limit — it can only be good.”

Cllr John Conway said he wished to see the speed limit extension go beyond the Lawhitton turn-off: “It’s a bit of a blind corner. It ought to be 50 to 100 yards Callington side of that corner.”

Pointing out that as yet town councillors have not seen any documentation regarding Cornwall Council’s proposal, Cllr Roger Creagh-Osborne said: “I would welcome it. It does need to extend beyond the Lawhitton turning.”

Cllr Hogan explained the proposal came from Cornwall Council in an email, adding: “Hopefully, I would suggest anyway that that document will come through the planning committee and we will be able to formulate an opinion on how far that 30mph speed limit should extend.

“With our planning committee, we have reinforced that we do need pedestrian links and cycling links to connect the new development with the rest of the town, rather than it be totally isolated, or crossing a main road.

“Some of the children more than likely will be going to Launceston College and access to the town is going to be across quite a busy road.”

Cllr Paul O’Brien instead suggested ‘something broader’ — graduated speed limits, that would see the speed limits change as people travelled through areas of the town.

He said of the current 30mph speed limits in Launceston: “We have a blanket cover and people are so used to them they ignore them.”

Cllr Hogan suggested this could be discussed by the town council’s planning committee.

Deputy mayor Cllr Margaret Young said: “In Dutson Road no one takes any notice of the 30mph, and at Western Road. People come whizzing down there at 50mph, so the whole place wants to be re-looked at.

“People are travelling far too fast around the town.”

Cllr Jane Nancarrow added: “St Stephens is becoming an absolute rat run.”

Cllr Brian Keighley said: “I would like to see one of the flashing signs like they’ve got on Tavistock Road. I think motorists take more notice of that.”

Cllr Dave Gordon said: “The problem is the enforcement. Nobody is prepared to enforce anything these days. I think flashing signs are the way forward.”

Cllr O’Brien said he would like to see speed limits linked to enforcement cameras: “The blanket covers that were reliant upon police or speed watch enforcement just aren’t going to work nowadays, but the technology exists out there to stop it.”