Twenty miles per hour was plenty for Kendal as councillors backed plans to make the whole town slow down.

Kendal town councillors met to vote on new road speed proposals at this week’s full council meeting.

The plans will involve asking the county council for new signs and traffic-calming measures to be installed. The report, presented by Councillor Jon Owen who represents Strickland, said: “The estimated cost for new signs for a specific area is estimated at £43,000 plus consulting fees.

“Traffic-calming for a town wide solution (including narrowness perception gates, rumble strips, lane width restrictions), will form part of a new mix of measures with an estimated cost of £820,000.”

Councillor Matthew Severn, who represents Kirkland, was concerned about the costs involved. He said: “Where is the money coming from?

“Is it a budget request to be put to Cumbria County Council?”

Cllr Owen, wouldn’t be drawn on answering who would eventually pick up the tab. He said: “We will do a feasibility study first, then learn how we might achieve the costs involved.”

Cllr Eamonn Hennessy, who represents Castle ward, was one of the first to back the town-wide plan. He said: “We need to make Kendal a friendlier place, a more accessible place, a safer place, a cleaner place, a place in which we can all thrive and flourish.

“I firmly believe that Kendal, as a major town in Cumbria, in South Lakes, should be setting this example, should be looking to set itself aside, should be looking to modernise its look, its feel, its outlook.”

Chris Grades, of Lakeside Taxis, doesn’t think it would make any noticeable change. He said: “ 20 miles per hour might actually speed up the town by an extra 15 miles an hour. To me, an ideal situation would be 30, which is plenty slow. It will help at peak times, where you are struggling to even get to 20, so no difference to us.

“Even the side streets are affected by heavy traffic as well. All the main streets and one-ways always are all chock-a-block. Kendal is an old market town, with people who are two-car families; you can only go as fast as the car in front. Today, up Sandylands it was busy, even with all the speed bumps they have up there.”

Steve Warner, chairman of Kendal and District Cycle Scene, thinks it will benefit his club. He said: “Some of our members cycle into town for shopping, we welcome non-speeding traffic of all kinds.

“We are affiliated to Cycling UK, so we have an older club membership, and as such we welcome this good news.”

Doug Rathbone, deputy mayor of Kendal, thinks more decisions still need to be made first. He said: “The source of the funding is undecided, as county council highways firstly has to agree our principle and then the practicalities. Which streets are able to be covered by this and which tier is paying what?

“Kendal Town Council will not be able to fund this alone by any stretch of the imagination.”

The town council’s full council heard that residents were asked in 2015 about speed changes, with 59 per cent saying they would be in favour of a reduced speed limit through the town.

The presentation to council also showed the benefits of 20mph limits including: road safety; safer cycling; safer pedestrians; environmental improvements; and better efficiency.

Summarising the benefits, Cllr Owen said: “Kendal is a fantastic place to live in, work in, and visit. But it could be even better. Too many of our streets get congested with traffic. Some of our roads are too hostile for those who would otherwise travel on foot and by bike.

“Because of high average traffic speeds in Kendal, we need to act now. We see an area-wide 20mph speed limit in other areas which have been shown to address these issues.”

Cllr Owen, who is also chairman of the environment and highways committee, thinks the town council can pay some of the costs involved.

He said: “This is the kind of scheme that we’ll contribute to, but not foot the whole bill for. It’s about the kind of future we want for Kendal.”

Of the 27 councillors attending, five abstained with 22 in favour.