Blow for campaigners as council can't afford £10m for 20mph zones

CAMPAIGNERS in Macclesfield wanting to see 20mph speed limits introduced have been told that Cheshire East Council cannot afford the estimated £10m cost.

- BY ALEX SCAPENS

It was said at a highways and transport committee meeting this week that two thirds of residents in Macc town centre want such a limit.

Earlier this year Bollington Town Council also submitted proposals for a 20 zone to Cheshire East.

Campaigners spoke at the meeting on the benefits of slowing cars down on restricted roads.

But when the meeting was told that - based on the introduction of a scheme in Wales - the cost would be £10million it received short shrift.

Committee chair Mark Goldsmith said while he understood the sentiment of the public speakers 'currently, we do not have £10m in reserves at all'.

He added: "We have almost no reserves at all. So while it is a very small sum of money in the scheme of things, and to central government, for us at the moment, that's a huge amount of money."