Kirkcaldy 20mph limits on hold as councillors look to get public views
Plans to cut speed limits to 20mph on a raft of roads across Kirkcaldy have been put on hold for more public consultation.
Councillors on Kirkcaldy area committee were broadly in support of the initiative - which ties in with Scottish Govenrment guidelines - but want feedback before making any changes.
A list of roads were put forward for Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) which would have started the process to cut the speed limit from 30 to 20mph.
Such a move would have impacted on the busy St Clair Street - one of the key routes into town - Dunnikier Way and Victoria Road.
The list also included Pratt Street / Abbotshall Road from Links Street to Beveridge Park roundabout; Nicol Street from the Esplanade to Beveridge Park roundabout; Boglily Road from Beveridge Park roundabout to just past the bus stops near Raith Drive; Abbotshall Road / St Brycedale Avenue / Townsend Place / Coal Wynd / Mitchell Street from Beveridge Park roundabout to Dunnikier Road.
Also set to change were Forth Avenue and Whyte Melville Road; Oriel Road from existing 40 mph to the Aldi roundabout; Dunnikier Road from Mitchell Street to Hayfield Road; Hayfield Road from Hendry Road to Whyteman's Brae; Whyteman's Brae; Dysart Road from St Clair Street to the Strathearn Hotel; and St Clair Street / Rosslyn Street from Dysart Road to Oswald Road.
Cairns Street West from Beatty Crescent to Overton Road; Overton Road from Kidd Street to Dunnikier Way.
The proposal also took in some culs-de-sac including Mill Street, Hally’s Court, Legion Court, Bennochy Gardens, Loanhead Place, Provost Kay Park, Canon Byrne Glebe, The Kyles, and Boreland Place.
Councillor David Ross (Kirkcaldy North, Labour) called for wider public consultation and also time to get views on any other roads people may want included.
He said: “There are are mixed views, and strong views, on either side of the 20mph debate, and I am not sure we have taken enough cognisance of them in the balance of looking at routes going into own and through the town.
“I get the impression what has been done is a look at criteria and a tick box exercise. A road may meet the criteria, but there may be other criteria that argues against that ,and that is what we as a committee have to take a view on first.”
His amendment had cross party support with Councillor Rod Kavanagh (Kirkcaldy East SNP) who added: “This needs more consultation. The outstanding question for me is the fact that there are major issues with compliance - and we need a sense of how people will respond to this.”