Speed limit changes coming to these Sutton and Merton roads

The busy A232 between Cheam and Carshalton and several other roads are due to have their speed limits reduced on March 18.

This change is coming to South London roads earlier than the previous TfL plan to introduce them in April.

TfL has said these particular roads have been chosen where there is a high risk to pedestrians and cyclists also using the roads.

TfL's Vision Zero Action Plan is bringing a number of speed limit changes to the capital's roads Credit: Transport for London

TfL has said that these changes are designed to make the roads safer and reduce the number of traffic collisions in key areas. 

On the Vision Zero Action Plan website, TfL said: “Collision data from around the world is very clear. It shows the faster a vehicle is traveling the more likely a collision will occur because the driver has less time to react, stop or avoid the collision and the more severe an injury resulting from the collision will be.”

TfL also told the local democracy reporting service (LDRS) that these changes have come following a long engagement period with local politicians and residents.

Speaking to the LDRS, they said: “TfL held local engagement, enabling residents and businesses to comment on the proposals for both the project and programme as a whole, as opposed to a one-off consultation exercise. 

“Local residents and businesses were approached and guided towards the Have Your Say page to add comments.”

The full list of changes is as follows:

Merton

A 20mph speed limit will be introduced on Crown Road and London Road, just off Morden Hall Road

St Helier Avenue, previously a 40mph road, will now have a 30mph limit. This new limit will be enforced by three cameras

Reigate Avenue, previously a 40mph road, will now have a 30mph limit

Rose Hill Roundabout, and the first part of St Helier Avenue, will now now have a 20mph limit

Sutton

The stretch of the A232 going from Cheam Village, through Sutton, and ending at Carshalton’s Manor Road will now have a 20mph limit. This new limit will be enforced by one camera

The stretch of the A217, from the Cheam rail bridge to Alberta Avenue, will now have a 30mph limit. This new limit will be enforced by two cameras

The changes come following rising criticism from councillors across the boroughs, who see this as a part of a wider ‘war on motorists’. Sutton’s Conservative councillors in particular have pushed back against what they see as a move by Sadiq Khan to make all of Sutton’s roads 20mph.

During a council meeting on January 29, Sutton Councillor and London Assembly member Neil Garratt said: “He (Mr Khan) wants all the road to be 20mph and this creates the bizarre situation where Sutton’s main roads will be 20mph but the borough roads will be mainly 30mph. What kind of signal does that send?”

Following this meeting, Sutton councillors moved to reject the principle of blanket 20mph speed limits across the borough including main roads and committed to consider the need and appropriateness of each individual road.

That meeting was also attended by a large number of residents who expressed their vocal opposition to the move towards 20mph roads. TfL’s road safety measures have attracted notable opposition from Sutton residents over the past few years, many of whom believe the borough’s public transport to be inadequate.

Commenting on a post about the speed limit changes, local resident Tom Saunders said: “There’s mounting frustration among motorists over initiatives perceived as a “war on drivers,” especially measures like reducing speed limits from 30mph to 20mph, alongside increased parking fees, higher fuel taxes, and expanded congestion zones.

“These efforts, while aimed at cutting pollution and encouraging public transit use, often overlook the fact that for many, cars are more than just a mode of transport; they’re also a hobby and a source of personal enjoyment.

“Car enthusiasts, who invest time and passion into their vehicles, feel particularly marginalised by policies that fail to recognise the cultural and recreational significance of cars.”