Congestion caused by motorists outside schools could actually make the area safer, rather than more dangerous, according to a county councillor.

Members of the Dover Joint Transportation Board had written to Kent County Council highways cabinet member Keith Ferrin to express their disappointment that there were no plans to introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit outside all schools in the county.

Cllr Ferrin’s reply will be reported to board members at their meeting on Monday. He said the issue had been considered a number of times by a number of bodies including the Highways Advisory Board.

“It remains the case that so far no grounds for a blanket 20mph limit outside schools has been established,” he said.

“There are a number of grounds for this but the primary consideration is that all the evidence is that the safest part of a child’s journey to school is actually that part of it which is closest to the school.

“Indeed the further a child is from the school the more likely they are to be injured."

Cllr Ferrin said that where there was evidence that there was a problem which a lower limit would address then he would be prepared to look at individual cases.