Speed limits cut in 43 villages

The council is urging drivers to respect the 30mph speed limit

Speed limits in 43 Hampshire villages are being cut to 30mph.

The county council is introducing the new limits to improve the quality of life of villagers, who for many years have complained about speeding drivers.

One of the first places to benefit from the Village 30 project was Corhampton and signs will be put up in the other 42 villages during the next few weeks.

A further 61 villages, which are yet to be confirmed, will see 30mph limits introduced during the spring next year.

Villages affected Ampfield Ashurst Avon, Sopley and Ripley Boarhunt Braishfield and Mottisfont Bramshaw and Furzley Breamore, Woodgreen Brook Copythorne Corhampton East Worldham Enham Alamein Fair Oak, Horton Heath and Colden Common Fritham Godshill Hale Headbourne Worthy Highclere Itchen Abbas Kingsley Littleton Lower Weald Mattingley and Newnham Newfound Old Alresford Pamber End Passfield Soberton and Newtown South Warnborough Stroud Upper Wield Upton Grey Wellow Weston Patrick Whitehill, Bordon and Lindford Yateley

Councillor Mel Kendal, the council's executive member for environment, said: "This is a real change for the better.

"The introduction of 30mph speed limits in all our villages should bring huge benefits to rural communities - being able to get around your village freely and safely is an important part of village life.

"In some villages we have unacceptable situations where a busy road literally cuts one side off from the other."

The council is following guidance from the Department for Transport which recommends that "villages should have comparable speed limits to similar roads in urban areas" and that a 30 mph limit "should be the norm in villages".

To coincide with the launch of Village 30, the council also launched its Choose 30 campaign on Wednesday.

It is designed to encourage drivers to "moderate their driving, respect the speed limit and be more aware of the village communities they are passing through".

The campaign will use bus back advertising, broadcasts on local commercial radio, beer mats and sandwich bags advertising to encourage motorists to drive at 30mph through villages just as they would do in urban areas.