Airth residents will be the first community in Falkirk Council to benefit from a 20mph speed limit in the village to create safer and healthier places.

Lowering speed limits can promote safer streets, encourage more sustainable forms of travel like walking, wheeling and cycling and create streets which are shared more equally between different road users.

A proposal to run an 18-month pilot scheme in the village was approved at yesterday's Executive meeting and will allow Council officers to collect and analyse information on before and after vehicle speeds and monitor the impact and suitability of 20mph limits.

Based on the pilot, officers will then consider implementation at 16 other settlements including Avonbridge, Shieldhill and Dunmore.

The pilot scheme could be introduced as soon as April 2024.

A consultation was carried out in February 2024 with Airth residents which showed strong support for a 20mph speed limit with:

• 70.9% strongly or partially supported a 20mph speed limit in built-up residential areas
• 90% strongly or tended to agree that speed limits should be implemented where safety is an issue.

Further Consultation

Further public consultation would be undertaken to gather feedback and gauge public opinion on the 20mph speed limit at each settlement prior to implementation.

Falkirk Council Leader Cecil Meiklejohn said: "It was good to see such strong support from the residents of Airth for the introduction of 20mph speed limits in the village. This initiative aligns with our commitment to creating safer and healthier communities and by lowering speed limits, we aim to promote safer streets, encourage sustainable modes of travel, and foster a more equitable sharing of our roads.

“The 18-month pilot scheme will allow officers to gather crucial data on the impact and suitability of these limits, paving the way for implementation in other settlements across the Falkirk Council area."