Drivers have been warned of plans to introduce lower speed limits on several roads in a southwestern region, in a bid to make the streets safer.
It comes as South Gloucestershire Council has launched a consultation over plans to introduce new 20mph limits along 41 different roads.
Under the new plans, the council hopes to introduce lower speed limits across several new housing developments in Morton Way and Butt Lane.
Other areas include Post Farm, Park Farm, Collester Way, Shrew Gardens and Cleve Wood developments, with the consultation on new speed limits due to end on August 2.
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PA/GETTY | The plans to introduce more 20mph limits hope to create a unified approach to speeding in the area
In addition to the new 20mph plans, the council also plans to lower the speed limit on Oldbury Lane from 60mph to 40mph.
Official council documents detailed: "To introduce new 20mph speed limits on the various new residential developments along Morton Way and Butt Lane, together with a new 40mph speed limit on a section of Oldbury Lane.
"This would bring all the new speed limits under one Order funded by the various Development Companies involved."
The council explained that the streets were designed to encourage lower traffic speeds, with the proposals aiming to reflect the residential nature of these streets.
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL
|The council also plans to lower the speed limit on Oldbury Lane from 60mph to 40mph
Meanwhile, the proposed 40mph speed limit on Oldbury Lane is due to the expansion of Thornbury Town with the "soon to be developed land on the southern side as far as the existing Thornbury boundary sign".
A council spokesperson told the Gazette: "We encourage people to have their say on proposals to introduce a 40mph speed limit on a section of Oldbury Road and 20mph speed limits on roads associated with various new residential developments along Morton Way and Butt Lane, in Thornbury."
The impacted roads include Barley Fields, Bells Close, Bramley Road, Bridge Hill Close, Buttercup Road, Cleve Leaze, Cleve Wood Road, Clover Ground, Clover Road, Collester Way and Colwell Close.
Other roads which could become 20mph include Corn Rows, Deer Park, Epicure Road, Farmers Walk, Golden Spire, Harvest Way, Haybob Road, Hay Fields, Horse Leaze, Maize Close, Marbled White Close, Meadow Brown Close, Nelmes Close, Paddock Road, Pastoral Road, Peacock Road, Pippen Drive, Purple Emperor Road, Red Admiral Way, Rye Ground, Rustic Way, Scythe Way, Shrew Gardens, Speckled Wood Road, Squirrel Crescent, Swallowtail Close, Ten Acres Road, Thresher Close, Wild Flower Road and Withy Leaze.
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The new proposal also follows a recent announcement by the Department for Transport, which revealed last month plans to make it easier for local authorities to introduce lower speeds.
Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood confirmed during a debate in the Commons that councils can implement preventative road safety measures without requiring permission.
The Future of Roads Minister told the House of Commons that the existing Department for Transport guidance is not mandatory, with authorities "invited to set their own deployment criteria if they wish".
"It is a myth to say that they can't act until there've been several fatalities. They already can, and I want to be clear with them around that," she shared.
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL
|The council has launched a consultation on introducing 20mph speed limits on several roads
Greenwood acknowledged that while the guidance encourages authorities to focus on resources "where they're going to have the most impact", she would "certainly encourage local authorities to consider how they can take a more proactive approach".
She stated that local authorities "have the power to set speed limits on their roads" under Section 39 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which gives them a statutory duty to reduce and prevent collisions.
The Minister explained that councils have access to various traffic management measures, including traffic calming, speed-activated warning signs and average speed cameras.
Greenwood added: "Any authority that has the support of the local community to install such schemes has my department's full backing and that a more proactive preventative approach, I would agree, is entirely sensible".