Some said the potholes needed fixing first though
15:11, 29 Mar 2026
Louise Lane, 56, said that parking the area was also an issue(Image: Dylan Hayward)
Plans to bring more than 20 Leicester streets under a new 20mph speed limit have sparked a lively debate among locals, with some branding the move “pointless” while others say it cannot come soon enough.
Leicester City Council has proposed the Clumber Road Area Order 2026, covering a large network of residential roads in the Evington area, including Sidwell Street and Crown Hills Avenue.
But while the council aims to slow down traffic, a visit to the area found a community split between two very different concerns: reckless drivers and crumbling road surfaces.
For many, the frustration starts not with the speed of the traffic, but the state of the tarmac beneath it.
Imran Navsa, 43, was among the most vocal critics, arguing that a 20mph limit is “too slow” and that signs alone will never change behaviour on streets where “lunatic” drivers already ignore the existing limit.
“It’s pointless,” he said. “What we actually need are speed bumps to slow people down. Drivers won’t take notice of signs unless there are cameras. A sensible driver won’t go over 30mph anyway, so all these signs feel like a waste of money.”
‘A waste of money’
Mr Navsa said that in a decade of living in the area, he had never known it to be a major accident blackspot.
“Speed isn’t really an issue on this road, but it is on St Saviours Road where you get the occasional lunatic,” he said.
“If safety is the concern, then fix the potholes. People end up swerving to avoid them.”
That view struck a chord with Mr Patel, 73, who acknowledged that while some residents “drive like idiots,” the physical state of the roads remains the more pressing concern.
“The potholes are already so bad your teeth could rattle,” he said. A younger Mr Patel, 37, questioned where road tax money was actually going. “Nothing seems to get done,” he said. “It’s just patch-ups, not proper repairs.”
Hassan Suleman, 45, shared the wider scepticism about whether the new limit would change anything in practice. “I don’t think people will follow it,” he said. “They tend to do what they like. It’s especially bad on St Saviours Road.”
Louise Lane, 56, said the area had deeper traffic problems that needed to be tackled alongside any speed limit change. “It’s dreadful. There are too many cars, especially at school pick-up times,” she said. “They also need to deal with people parking on pavements.”
‘Someone could be killed’
However, just a few doors down, the perspective shifts entirely. For those who witness the daily chaos of boy racers and school-run gridlock, the lower limit represents a vital safety net that is long overdue.
Uber driver Mangit Singh, 56, spends his working day seeing the consequences of “fast and careless driving” first-hand. He believes 20mph should be the standard for every side road in the city and that the Clumber Road area is no exception.
Speed reductions to 20mph are planned for a number of streets (file image)(Image: Getty Images)
“I see accidents every day,” he said. “It’s a good idea because some drivers don’t even slow down when people are crossing the road. People are doing 40 or 50mph, and someone could easily be killed, whether it’s a parent with children or an elderly person.”
Mr Singh said he believed the limit could trigger a genuine shift in behaviour, even without physical enforcement. “If I got a fine, I’d tell my family not to speed. It does make people think,” he said.
“On London Road, it works well, and people follow the limit. I’ve even seen drivers not stop for ambulances. It’s only a few seconds.”
Impact on Leicester families
For Muhammad Waqas, 39, the proximity of local schools makes the decision straightforward. “It would benefit local children, especially with a school nearby,” he said. “It’s a residential area, so it makes sense.”
A local business owner agreed, saying the neighbourhood currently felt more like a racetrack than a residential street. “People are driving really fast around here, even in the middle of the night,” they said.
“I’d feel safer walking, and it would be safer for children in the area. You see a lot of drivers doing 40mph, especially younger drivers and the occasional boy racer. Some are doing over 50mph and this could help stop that.”
A butcher on Sidwell Street, one of the streets included in the proposed order, kept it simple. “A speed limit would be better,” they said.
The order, if confirmed, would cover more than 20 streets across the area.
The full list includes Benson Street, Bolsover Street, Clumber Road, Copdale Road, Crown Hills Avenue, Elizabeth Street, Jellicoe Road, Kitchener Road, Lancaster Street, Leicester Street, Nottingham Road, Rosebery Street, Rufford Street, Saville Street, Sherwood Street, Sidwell Street, Temple Avenue, The Langhill, The Littleway, The Wayne Way and Thoresby Street.
Leicester City Council has yet to confirm a start date for the new limit.