In case you haven't noticed, the new 20mph speed restriction has now been implemented along Rudds Lane, Dollicott and roads off. The route through this part of the village has always been difficult to navigate and, with the increase in traffic from new housing, authorities have deemed it appropriate to reduce vehicle speeds. The cost has been met by a housing developer.
The new speed limit has led to renewed discussion as to whether other streets should be subject to 20mph, or even the whole village. The advantages of 20mph, in terms of calmer, safer and more friendly village streets, with more walking and cycling and more children going independently to school, are usually seen far to outweigh the sacrifice of a few extra seconds travel time for drivers.
While a 20mph limit in Haddenham could be restricted to a few central streets, advocates say that a uniform limit over the whole village would involve fewer signs and be less confusing for motorists.
A 20mph limit in residential areas is increasingly widespread in the UK. We are told that the number of people now living in local authority areas which have adopted a 20mph policy now exceeds 20 million. Buckinghamshire's policy is not to introduce 20mph until there is preponderant public demand, so supporters are encouraged to make their views known. One option is wheelie bin stickers, which can be obtained from haddenham20@gmail.com, where the team can also field questions about 20mph.
Haddenham is certainly an excellent village for walking and cycling. It can easily be traversed on foot and it has no main through road. With a 20mph limit, advocates say, through traffic will be negligible, so all drivers of vehicles are likely to be neighbours or doing business with neighbours. At 20mph they will be much less anonymous than they are at higher speeds, and they will not wish to offend. There would, they say, be no need for further enforcement.
It's an attractive vision.
