Campaigners celebrate speed limit victory

Road safety campaigners have won their battle to cut the speed limit in a Thanet village to 20mph.

Residents of Reading Street started a petition – eventually signed by more than 140 people – calling for speed and traffic control measures to improve pedestrian safety.

But after tests by Kent Highway Services recorded an average speed of less than 27mph, and revealed that traffic flow was in line with other residential roads, officials said the only improvements needed were double yellow lines at two junctions.

However, local people continued their campaign and when Cllr Alan Poole proposed a 20mph speed limit to the Thanet Joint Transportation Board (JTB), members voted unanimously to introduce the scheme.

Cllr Poole, whose proposal was supported by Cllrs Bill Hayton and Michelle Fenner, said: "This speed restriction was vital for the village. It was only a matter of time before there was a fatality. We were also concerned that even more properties would be damaged."

The campaign for a 20mph zone follows a spate of collisions in Reading Street in the past three years.

People were hurt in seven crashes, including one in which a drink-driver lost control of his car and collided with several parked vehicles.

All injuries were categorised as ‘slight.’