Plans for traffic calming measures to slow speeding traffic around Burnley's Towneley Hall move up a gear
New traffic calming measures, aimed at stopping motorists speeding on the roads through parkland surrounding Burnley’s Towneley Hall, have taken a step forward.
Councillors have been told that drivers using Towneley Park as a ‘rat run’ shortcut have reached 78mph, despite a 20mph limit.
Now Burnley Council’s executive has authorised the start the process of introducing traffic calming measures to try and cut vehicle speeds to safe levels in the authority-owned 445 acres that surround the historic Towneley Hall.
Its meeting last night (Tuesday) approved a consultation on the proposal. The measures will see the installation round top speed humps and footway crossovers at maximum intervals of 100 metres on Deer Park Road and Towneley Holmes Road.
Council leader Coun. Afrasiab Anwar said after the meeting: “Residents living near Towneley Park have raised concerns about speeding. The executive felt it needed to take action. I welcome the measures approved and hopefully they will deter the most reckless motorists and at the very least reduce speeds. This is about public safety. They should make Burnley’s biggest park safer and more pleasurable for everyone.”
A report to the executive meeting said: “The road through Towneley Park, between Unity College and Springwood Road is owned and maintained by Burnley Council. A 20mph speed limit has been in force on this road since 2010 but the police do not regularly enforce.
“In recent years, the volume of traffic using Deer Park Road and Towneley Holmes Road has increased, with drivers using it as a shortcut between Red Lees Road and Todmorden Road/Parliament Street. A traffic survey undertaken between August and October 2025 identified that average speeds of 25 mph were recorded on Deer Park Road and 27mph on Towneley Holmes Road.
“There is a significant minority that ignores the 20mph limit, with recorded vehicle speeds of up to 78 mph. The high volume of vehicles and the excessive speed of some present a risk to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders and detracts from the public’s enjoyment of Towneley as a quiet place for recreation.”
The statutory consultation on the traffic calming measures will take place online throughout next month and January, and its feedback will help shape the final design.