Gloucestershire County Council set to invest £300,000 in road safety initiatives 

09.09.2025

Community 20s and Safer Roads programmes attract over 150 expressions of interest as cabinet prepares for decision

Gloucestershire County Council is delighted to announce a major milestone in its commitment to road safety and the wellbeing of communities across the county.

At the upcoming Cabinet meeting, councillors will be considering the allocation of £300,000 as an initial amount to support two groundbreaking initiatives: Community 20s and Safer Roads.

Currently the county council is seeking expressions of interest for:

• Community 20s: introducing 20mph speed limits where people live, work, and travel—especially on streets used by vulnerable road users such as children and older people.
• Safer Roads: targeted reductions of speed limits on roads with a history of casualties, ensuring everyone’s journey is safer.

These ambitious programmes are aligned with Gloucestershire’s vision for safer roads and healthier streets. By lowering speed limits in the right places, the council aims to foster environments where all road users—especially the most vulnerable—can travel confidently and safely. Both initiatives play a crucial role in delivering on the council’s Vision Zero ambition to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries on Gloucestershire roads by 2050.

A key milestone on this journey is to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in people killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads by 2032.

Interest in the initiatives has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 150 expressions of interest already received from parish, town, and district councils. Gloucestershire County Council is inviting further expressions of interest from parish and town councils, as well as county councillors, and is encouraging all interested parishes to respond by 19 September 2025. To register, complete the online form provided in the council’s letter to local councils.

Cllr Lisa Spivey, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “As a new administration, we are committed to partnership working to deliver for residents, focussing on the things they are concerned about. We know that blanket 20mph schemes introduced in other places have not been wholly popular which is why we have started by asking communities whether this is something they would welcome. This response will help us structure delivery of the scheme which will happen over the next few years.”

She continued: “It’s fantastic to see such a healthy appetite for safer streets—over 150 communities have already come forward. If agreed the commitment to investing an initial £300,000 in the Community 20s and Safer Roads initiatives will be a bold, positive step towards our Vision Zero ambition and making Gloucestershire a safer, healthier place for all.”

As interest continues to grow, the council emphasises that all submissions will be carefully assessed and prioritised, ensuring the greatest impact for communities and value for taxpayers. The process will include further engagement with local councils and communities, and more details on the scope and next steps are available in the FAQs.

Gloucestershire County Council looks forward to working with its partners and residents to pave the way for safer, more vibrant streets—together.

---