New 20mph zone improves safety on roads around Torquay Academy

Friday, 9 May 2025 08:00

By Chris Collman

Road signs have gone up to enforce a new 20mph zone around Torquay Academy.

The new mandatory limit is the first of six being brought in this year to improve safety at schools after public support.

The previous advisory 20mph zone in Cricketfield Road is now mandatory and has been extended to include the roundabout at the junction of Old Woods Hill and Barton Road.

A new 20mph limit runs north from the roundabout along Barton Road past the school entrance. It ends just before the junction with Audley Avenue and includes Cricketers Green and Kirkstead Close.

The new permanent 20mph zone around the school will be in effect all the time and can be enforced by the police. It connects with an existing mandatory 20mph zone on Barton Road south from the roundabout past Torre Church of England Academy.

Lower speeds in urban areas have been shown to cut casualties, reduce noise and improve air quality. They allow better visibility and give drivers more time to react to pedestrians.

The new 20mph zone around Torquay Academy is one of six being introduced at schools in Torquay and Paignton following consultation in 2024.

Plans are also being worked on for the next phase at six more schools and these will go out for consultation later this year.

Cllr Adam Billings, Torbay Council's Cabinet Member for Pride of Place and Parking, said: "The public has supported improving road safety and we are delivering on that commitment.

"We have accelerated the pace of delivery and are now seeing a significant increase in the number of schemes coming forward.

"I am grateful for the hard work of the Highways Team.

"It is great to see that the first of six school 20mph zones being brought in this year is now up and running at Torquay Academy.

"I look forward to the others following in due course, and to the next six school 20mph zones going out for public consultation soon.

"We are determined to deliver improved safety for all road users, including the many children who use these routes to get to school and home again."

Steve Margetts, Principal of Torquay Academy, said: "I’m really pleased to see the 20mph zone introduced. It is something we’ve campaigned for over many years.

"With 1,500 students and up to 200 staff arriving daily, slower speeds make the area safer for everyone. This is a very positive step in helping to protect our children, their families, and those who work at the school."

The school schemes are part of the Council's Road Safety Initiatives Programme as it continues to roll out 20mph limits in carefully selected locations.

In the last year 20mph zones have been introduced in the Queensway area and around the Strand in Torquay, and in Paignton in the Fisher Street area.

The new mandatory 20mph zones around schools are in addition to other road safety initiatives for children and young people in Torbay.

These include working with the Vision Zero South West partnership to deliver road safety lessons for primary school pupils, and the Learn2Live road scheme aimed at 16 to 19-year-olds in full-time education.

The other schools where new mandatory 20mph zones are due to be delivered this year are:

Paignton