Skip to main content
Clean Air Zones

YouGov poll shows support outweighs opposition for lowering urban speed limits from 30 to 20mph

14 July 2023

Conservative voters are marginally more likely to be opposed than to support – but there is broad support for lowering urban speed limits from 30 to 20mph across the survey sample as a whole.

Although lower speed limits are typically advocated for on road-safety grounds, they also tend to improve air quality and so are typically also part of the package of measures that comprised clean air zones.

The latest from the Clean Air Zones timeline:

Climate Barometer Tracker 15th November 2023

Tracker data: Public supportĀ for low traffic neighbourhoods is higher than MPs’

The latest Barometer tracker data (October 2023) shows public support for low traffic neighbourhoods is higher than opposition, although the difference is only 10 percentage points, and the pattern is reversed for Conservative voters.

Public support (39%) is higher than that of MPs at only 23%, and support is particularly low among Conservative MPs, likely reflecting the widespread belief that the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was the reason for the unexpected Conservative ‘hold’ at the Uxbridge by-election in July 2023.

As with differences between public and MP opinion seen on onshore wind, and to a lesser extent solar power, it is important that where public support exists (as it does on onshore wind, solar and clean air zones), this support is seen, acknowledged and acted on by political representatives.

View Clean Air Zones timeline now

Add Feedback