Greenwich Council is planning to introduce a 20mph speed limit across the borough, bringing it into line with the rest of inner London.
A formal consultation has begun into making the change, ten years after neighbouring Lewisham was among the first boroughs to cut speed limits.
TfL analysis published last year found that the number of people killed or seriously injured on borough roads fell by 34 per cent after the introduction of 20mph limits.
The news has delighted campaigners in Shooters Hill who pressed the council three years ago for a 20mph speed restriction outside a primary school.
While more than seven in ten of Greenwich’s roads already have a 20mph speed limit, there has never been a borough-wide policy, despite other councils and TfL introducing restrictions.
A decision in 2012 to make all residential roads 20mph was never fully implemented, particularly in the south of the borough. In 2022, its transport strategy pledged to consider introducing a borough-wide limit.
Roads controlled by TfL that already have higher speed limits, such as the A2, A20 and A102, will not be affected.
TfL data shows that 939 people have been killed or seriously injured on Greenwich’s roads in the past decade, with 77 per cent of those taking place on 30mph roads.
In 2023, campaigners in Shooters Hill pressed for a 20mph limit outside Christ Church primary school because of the number of collisions caused by drivers speeding down the hill towards the South Circular Road.
TfL, which controls the South Circular, later cut the speed limit there to 20mph. But Shooters Hill, controlled by the council, remained at 30mph, despite the petition. All roads at the junction will now be 20mph, including the stretch of Shooters Hill outside the school.
One of the campaigners, Laura King, said: “This is great news for Shooters Hill. Even with pedestrian crossings on the hill for the Christ Church school community, speeding and careless drivers flout the rules and put families and children at risk.
“20mph will help keep children safe, reduce accidents at the South Circular and reduce pollution.”
Calum O’Byrne O’Mulligan, the cabinet member for transport, said the move would “improve safety and consistency”.
“Most accidents in the borough happen on our faster moving roads, where accidents are more likely to have serious consequences, and fatalities are known to be five times higher for accidents at 30mph than those at 20mph,” he said. “Safer speeds are a simple but powerful way to make our roads safer and more welcoming for everyone in Greenwich.
“These proposals, which would bring the few local roads that are not already 20mph in line with the rest, can also make it more straightforward for drivers with consistent speed limits across the borough.”
No speed humps or other traffic calming measures will be introduced, but signage will change. Enforcing the speed limits is the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police.
Responses to the consultation can be sent to traffic.team[at]royalgreenwich.gov.uk, quoting reference T9/26.
Updated at 3.40pm to mention the 2022 transport strategy.
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