If you think Mitcham has become a little slower lately, then you aren't wrong.

In recent years, Merton Council has had the" aspiration of a borough wide 20mph speed limit," but said the required funding had never come.

"As a result, the council decided to introduce localised 20mph speed limits primarily outside schools.

But now that money has become available and the council has started its programme of rolling out a borough wide 20mph, with Mitcham the area affected.

Wimbledon Times:

Cabinet member of regeneration, housing and transport, Councillor Martin Whelton, said: “We are really pleased to see the implementation of the 20mph speed limit in the Mitcham area because it will make the streets so much safer for everyone.

"This roll-out is a key part of the council’s vision for a borough wide 20mph speed limit across the whole borough which will significantly reduce the risk of people being killed or seriously injured on the streets of Merton."

"The council has joined forces with other London boroughs to support the Mayor of London’s Vision Zero safety strategy which aims to improve the road environment for all road users.

"The 20mph speed limit, which is being introduced across other boroughs in the capital, plays a major role in promoting a culture in which it is socially unacceptable to drive over 20mph in London.

"The 20mph speed limit also serves to create more healthy, friendly streets where people want to walk, cycle and use public transport.”

Wimbledon Times:

This is the third stage of the rollout, with only Mitcham affected so far.

The case officer who oversaw this proposal said there was a very good reason for this.

We are implementing the 20mph in stages for the following reasons.

"The extent of work, involved and availability of resources prohibits a singular roll-out," he said.

"We are starting in Mitcham as Croydon and Lambeth are both 20mph boroughs and there are a number of adjoining streets between the boroughs that require a consistent 20mph approach."

Funding is allocated to the borough via TFL’s Local Implementation Plan. This allocated funding can only be spent on transport/road safety measures and cannot be utilised for highway maintenance.