London Play

Working for a capital where all children can play

20's plenty

7 February 2008

To coincide with the new Conservative party report on Childhood, "More Ball Games" (we are sure no pun on the responsible government Minister's name is intended).

A less newsworthy policy discussion about slowing down the traffic in residential streets was published recently. London Play believes it is an important milestone on the (slow) road to reclaiming the streets for play, for the first time responsible Conservatives are confronting the dinosaurs in their backyard, and refuting the once sacrosanct claim of being "a great car society".

Update February 2010.:
A campaigning group - 20's Plenty for Us - has now been created. They believe that it is time for our residential roads to be equitably shared with all the users by setting an appropriate speed limit that protects the young and the vulnerable. In Britain more than half of road deaths and serious injuries occur on roads with 30 mph limits (Transport Statistics for Great Britain). This is why 80% of the public and 75% of drivers support 20 mph as a speed limit on residential streets. (PACTS).

London play believes the ideology of car use needs to undergo a radical rethink - driving is best considered as a privilege, not a right, because then we can have a sensible discussion about the rights of drivers and the rights of those who are inconvenienced by them. It has now been a century since Mr Toad first sped about the pages of "Wind in the Willows" he must no more be regarded as a figure of fun (at least, not when behind the wheel).

Download London Play's briefing below.