Councillor Anna Bailey, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, has slammed Cambridgeshire County Council's response to her petition on the Ely 20mph zone.

In a letter sent to the Ely Standard, Cllr Bailey condemned Cambridgeshire County Councillor Alex Beckett's response to her petition as "arrogant and dismissive".

At a Cambridgeshire County Council Highways Committee meeting on October 1, of which Cllr Beckett is the chair, Cllr Bailey presented a petition calling for a new consultation to take place into the 20mph zone in Ely.

As it stands, a "blanket" 20mph zone has been implemented across the city. However, Cllr Bailey believes that the original consultation was "flawed" and not enough "attention" was given to it.

The council leader started a petition calling for a new consultation which amassed 2,779 signatures at the time of the committee meeting, which is nearly 23 times the number of responses to the original consultation.

Cllr Alex Beckett has now responded to Cllr Bailey's petition, doubling down on the county council's decision not rerun a consultation.

Cllr Beckett said in his response: "I can confirm that the correct process as laid out in our constitution has been followed and the scheme has now been implemented."

He said that it "would not be appropriate" to launch a new consultation, and defended the implementation of the speed limit. Cllr Beckett also confirmed that a review into the 20mph zone will be taken in two years time.

Cllr Bailey said that she was "disappointed but not surprised" with the response.

The East Cambridgeshire Leader said: "They (Cambridgeshire County Council) also had an opportunity, with the presentation of the petition, to respond to the outcry about it, and to show they are listening, but they have chosen to all but ignore everyone who took the trouble to sign their name.

"Arrogant and dismissive doesn't even begin to describe it."

Cambridgeshire County Council have been contacted for a response. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Contact: francesca.herring@newsquest.co.uk.