Birmingham is to become England’s first 20mph city by lowering speed limits on the majority of its roads as Andy Burnham pushes to devolve further powers to local authorities. The Telegraph has more.
In plans updated last week, the Liberal Democrat, Green Party and independent-led council said it wanted all routes except A-roads to become 20mph zones.
The council said it wanted to ensure that cars “no longer dominate street life” by promoting walking and cycling as the best ways to travel. However, opponents have claimed the “anti-motorist policy” will make travelling around the city harder.
The move comes amid Andy Burnham’s push for devolution, which could give local authorities greater power to impose similar controversial policies on their areas.
Birmingham, once regarded as the motor capital of Britain because of its vast car production and trailblazing road designs, adopted a plan in 2021 to expand the rollout of 20mph zones.
The new council coalition has gone further and committed to lowering speed limits across the city.
In its plan, which was put out for public consultation last week, Birmingham City Council said: “A limit of 20mph will be standard on all local roads.
“Residential neighbourhoods and local centres will be places where people are put first. Cars will no longer dominate street life around homes and schools.”
Reform UK’s Jex Parkin, the leader of Birmingham’s opposition, said: “This is another anti-motorist policy from a council that seems determined to make getting around Birmingham harder.
“People already have enough congestion, restrictions and disruption to deal with without another blanket measure being imposed on them.”
England has had a 30mph speed limit in residential areas since 1935, but almost a third of roads now have a 20mph restriction. The number of drivers caught breaking 20mph speed limits has increased dramatically, from 37,219 drivers in 2023 to 125,133 in 2025.
On Tuesday evening, the Department for Transport (DfT) declined to criticise Birmingham City Council, saying it had control over the speed limits on its roads.
DfT spokesman said: “Local authorities are responsible for setting speed limits in their areas, and our guidance is clear that 20mph limits should only be used where they are appropriate and supported by evidence.”
It comes as the Prime Minister plans to give more powers to elected mayors and grant areas more say in decision-making. Burnham has repeatedly called for more “fiscal devolution” to give regional mayors greater control of local economic policy using their own funds.
Worth reading in full.
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Is this what the Birmingham people want? If so, it is theirs, if not the incompetent councillorsors who voted for this must be removed from office. Kids go quicker on electric scooters then 20mph. This is not a safety issue. It is a control issue.
Just another way that a bankrupt council can extract more money from an already overtaxed population.
Another very good reason to stay well away from Birmingham …. to go with the population, the rubbish, the rats and the fact it’s a shithole.
They are following the C-40 cities plan.
Whose C-40 cities plan? Not something I voted for.
Economic suicide, except that immigration has already achieved that in many areas of Brum.
Not been there in decades, no plans to change that.
Agenda 2030—–“The lifestyles of the affluent middle classes with central heating, air conditioning,TRAVEL IN PRIVATE CARS and high meat intake are unsustainable”.
We have a Political Class fully aligned not with the people who vote them into office, but with the Global Government Agenda of the UN and WEF.
And repeat loudly a thousand times until people start listening. How did we succumb to this road to hell at twenty miles an hour or on a bike in pouring rain and a gale? Why is it OK for globalists to steal our world?
Because they collected the money and that bought them influence.
I keep saying that Davis needs a small nuke.
It’s been a while since I’ve been to Birmingham, if I’m honest, but as the picture illustrating the piece suggests, going as fast as 30mph, is but a dream, most of the time…
That’s probably true of a lot of urban areas with 20mph zones. But the actual effect of the speed limit is irrelevant. What matters is that it sends out the “right message” to people like the IPPR.
Birmingham Council is proud to advertise itself as “a global majority city”. Presumably this is in line with that boast and they are aiming for predominantly horse and cart transport in the near future.
I believe that means a white minority and is racism.
“a global majority city”
But … but … I thought minorities were sacred and magical.
It means dodging piles of garbage in the streets, and trying ignore the stink and the fact that everybody is shouting at each other in yah ling ling language.
And nothing works.
It’s 20 mph in most of London from roughly Zone 3 inwards
That fast? Last time I was up that way it took longer to get from Hangar Lane to Paddington, than it did from Gloucester to Hangar Lane…
Will the speed limit apply to cyclists, e-bike and e-scooter riders, whether on roads, cycle tracks or pavements? And yet these are the ones who really terrorise pedestrians on a daily basis.
Buy shares in companies that make red flags, for the use of walking in front of motor cars, coming to a city near you?
It’s just about stealing money from motor fines. Research in London was 20mph increases pollution
And no evidence in Wales of it “saving lives”
Its yet another poorly thought out ‘ideal’, that they have ‘group thinked’ into an essential development. Clean Air Zones is another, do they not realise that the air in the zone and that outside the zone are essentially the same air, and it moves around.?
Being in a low gear will not only increase pollution but put more wear and tear on the engine. Is that right?
End all chauffeur driven vehicles for politicians and tell them to get on their bikes. Then tell the murderous thugs that use the public highways for illegal racing that they really should stick to the speed limits.
…that they really should stick to the speed limits…
…and the routes that the politicians are using on their bike rides.
We can guess which demographic will stick two fingers up to that!
I can think of way more than one…