From:   Cllr Cowan Stephen <stephen.cowan@lbhf.gov.uk>

Sent:    21 December 2015 14:31

To:       Resident7

Cc:       saferhf30@btinternet.com

Subject:            RE: NO TO BOROUGH-WIDE 20mph!

Attachments:    Manifesto. The Change We Need.pdf

 

Dear Resident7

 

Thank you for your email and for your views on what we might do on this matter.

 

I am afraid you have been badly misinformed about what we’re doing. We consulted residents on our

manifesto commitment (see attached page 12) to extend the 20mph speed limit. I don’t know why

anyone would say we have already decided to “bring in a 20mph speed limit on all of its [the council’s]

roads”, or that we are planning to not respect the results of the consultation or that the consultation

concluded that 55% of people are against an extension of the 20mph speed limit. All those statements

are thoroughly untrue.

 

We gave residents three options asking if people agreed to extend 20mph speed limit. The answers that

came back can be summarised as:

 

       Yes to all roads (45%)

 

       Yes but not on the roads listed by each person who responded (26%)

 

       No, not on any more roads (29%)

 

So in short there is a 71% majority to introduce the 20mph on all the roads that were not specified by

the residents who kindly took part in the consultation. Within the 26% there are some roads which lots

of people specified as not wanting a speed limit change and there are others with only a small number

of objections. I have asked officials to carry out a full analysis of those figures and my colleagues and I

are yet to have a meeting to conclude what the council will do.

 

I’m afraid those that are putting out leaflets saying we’re not respecting the results of the public

consultation either don’t know what they’re talking about or are deliberately seeking to mislead people.

Either way it is not a sensible way to approach this important matter.

 

We also held two of the council’s new public Policy and Accountability Committee (PAC) meetings on

this subject. They were well attended by people who came from all perspectives both for and against

and they were able to play an full role in the discussions. You might find the paper that went before the

public PAC meeting interesting:

 

http://democracy.lbhf.gov.uk/documents/s71173/20%20MPH%20Report.pdf

 

So far from trying to ignore the public we are going much further than the council has ever gone before

to actively engage our residents before we make major decisions. I assure you I am keen that we act in

accordance with public opinion on all matters and plan to do that on this issue.

 

Best wishes and Merry Christmas

 

Stephen

 

Cllr. Stephen Cowan

Labour Councillor for Hammersmith Broadway ward

Leader, The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Hammersmith Town Hall, London, W6 9JU

 

Phone: 020 8753 6585

 

Local News: http://www.TheCowanReport.com <http://www.thecowanreport.com/> 

 

Twitter: @StephenCowan <https://twitter.com/StephenCowan> 

Facebook: StephenCowan.Labour <https://www.facebook.com/StephenCowan.Labour>

 

Need help? I run a weekly surgery which takes place in Hammersmith Town Hall

<http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-

8&q=Hammersmith+Town+Hall,+King+Street,+Hammersmith,+W6+9JU&fb=1&split=1&cid=0,0,1155483

9700945429691&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=image> . Please feel free to call the above phone

number to arrange an appointment.

 

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