COLCHESTER Council is forging ahead with plans to lower the speed limit in neighbourhoods and villages – despite concerns about the cost, legality and feasibility of enforcing them.

Greenstead, High Woods and Colchester town centre could become the first blanket 20mph zones in the borough.

Julie Young, councillor for Colchester’s St Andrew’s ward, said: “We want communities to come forward and put their weight behind the campaign.

“We see this as the most positive way of bringing in 20mph limits.”

A report to the council’s policy and review committee suggests schemes should focus on areas with the worst accident records.

The first move, the report says, would be to lower the speed limit in side streets around the High Street. Main routes such as Southway, Balkerne Hill and Cowdray Avenue would not change.

The scheme could also be applied in High Woods and Greenstead – both areas with high accident rates – and possibly to rural areas where residents want more safety measures.

Alresford parish councillor Linda Belgrove welcomed the idea. She said: “The speed limits were set 30 years ago. Now cars can go so much faster.”

Mrs Young said the borough council hoped to convince Essex County Council to back the scheme. At present it only allows 20mph limits in areas where there are other measures, such as speed bumps.

Alastair Southgate, Essex County Council’s principal transport planner, said: “If we get enough people saying: ‘That’s what we would like to see”, we would look to implement it. There is some evidence they are effective.”

The council would then consult community groups, an exercise expected to cost £15,000.

In 2008, the borough recorded the second highest number of road deaths and serious injuries per head of population in Essex. More recent figures have shown a reduction, but are still above Government target levels.