All members of ABC Council have been urged to take part in a public consultation regarding a review of speed limits, with a close call involving a vehicle outside a school in the Birches area of Portadown highlighted as a reason to take the matter seriously.
Members of the Governance, Resources and Strategy Committee met on Wednesday (February 11) to agree the external consultation schedule for February 2026.
In proposing the schedule, Cllr Lavelle McIwrath spoke to draw members’ attention to the Department for Infrastructure’s Speed Limit Review 2026.
Said the Cllr: “There’s often comments made in this chamber regarding speed limits and speeding and the dangers on our roads and fatalities and accident blackspots and so on… so there is a consultation out there and I think it behoves us all to complete that.”
Explaining that he had already undertaken the consultation himself, the Cllr added: “I don’t entirely agree with some of the questions there and the way that they are loaded, but I think it’s really important that we do, as members and as our parties, respond to the Department for Infrastructure Speed Limit Review.
“And, it’s important our comments are noted because, no doubt, there will be changes coming out of this report going forward so it’s just something… we don’t often comment on these consultation reports but I think this is one that we do, as members, maybe need to feed out there to our communities as well and to make sure and try to influence what comes out of this.”
Chairing the meeting, Cllr Kate Evans agreed, adding: “Yes, it is a massive issue that we do have on the streets.”
The Cllr then addressed a near miss at a local primary school the day before, to emphasise the severity of the issue: “I think there was an accident out at a Primary School in the Birches, yesterday I think it was, where a car hit the school gates. They were just lucky there was no child around when it happened.”
Cllr Lavery was then brought in to second the schedule. He added: “I just want to echo yourselves and Cllr McIlwrath’s thoughts especially in terms of 20mph speed limits.
“It seems common sense that there should be a 20mph speed limit outside all primary schools and indeed secondary schools as well due to the high footfall.
“You quoted an incident there and there are numerous incidents across many schools in this borough and indeed many close calls across this borough as well.
“And, it’s not just the 20mph speed limits, there are so many areas that could do with additional crossing infrastructure, whether it’s middle islands or zebra crossing spots and things like that… that maybe doesn’t cover this, but I would echo Cllr McIlwrath in that the more people who respond to this consultation in the borough the better it will be for the borough.”
The consultation schedule was proposed and then seconded.
Members of the public can take part in the Speed Limit Review Consultation here.
