Finstown speed limit consultation enters next stage

The next stage of the consultation process on introducing new speed limits in and around Finstown is to get underway this week.

Following a petition received from the local community in 2021, Orkney Islands Council (OIC) recommended the introduction of new speed limits, after significant debate.

To introduce these, the local authority has to put in place a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which, by law, has to be consulted on across three stages.

Traffic Regulation Orders are legal orders put in place to control speed, movement and parking of vehicles.

Stage one of the consultation process sees Police Scotland asked about the proposals, and that has now been completed.

Stage two sees other organisations like Scottish Fire & Rescue and community councils asked for comments, giving them a chance to feed in their thoughts on the proposal before it goes out for public consultation.  The proposals are not set in stone at this point and community input can help shape the final draft of the TRO.   This is the stage that is now underway, and OIC expects it to be completed by the first week in July.

Stage three of the consultation will see the final draft TRO go out for public consultation. This is likely to get underway in July and be completed by the end of August, according to OIC.

The full proposals are as follows:

• Extension of existing part-time 20 mph limit on the A966 to cover a section of the A965
• Extension of the existing 30mph speed limits on the Old Finstown Road, on the A966 to Evie and A965 East – or the ‘Kirkwall side’ of Finstown

In addition, new speed devices are to be installed at each of the entrances to Finstown on the A965, at the entrance to Finstown on the A966, at the entrance to Finstown on the Old Finstown Road, and in the centre of Finstown, in the vicinity of Esson’s Garage, but these do not form part of the TRO or the consultation.