TWYFORD residents have joined calls for 20mph speed zones to be introduced in Hampshire amid fears the village is being 'left in the backwater'. 

The county council's current policy restricts new 20 mph zones and limits, leaving many parish authorities unable to act - even if they stump up the funding.

However, the council has recently finished conducting a survey - collecting evidence from various sources - with a view to changing its future stance.

In the meantime, 20's Plenty for Us, a 'not for profit’ motion which has nearly 600 groups campaigning to lower the limit brought into cities, towns and villages, has continued to gather pace. 

In Twyford, representatives of the movement have identified several roads which they say are danger spots for children and elderly residents alike. 

Councillor Tony Bronk, alongside Dr Hannah Greenberg, who formed the Twyford 20's Plenty group, has been lobbying civic chiefs to lower the speed limit in Queen Street, Finches Lane and the High Street - among others - for some time.

They have raised concerns about the lack of signage, safe crossing points and absence of pavements, insisting children walking or cycling to or from St Mary's Primary School are left with inadequate protection from heavy through traffic.

READ MORE: Speeding driver from Winchester fined for doing 96mph

While they've had some joy implementing small improvements such as road markings to deter parking at key crossings, their efforts to slash speed in the village have been largely fruitless due to existing regulation.

Dr Greenberg said: "We are dominated and divided by that road (B3335). There are elderly people on the south side of the village who tell me they haven't been able to cross in three years because it's simply not safe to do so.

"The whole point of living in a village is being part of a community. But so many people are being cut off from that."

She added: "The danger of being hit at 20 instead of 30 is like falling from the first floor of a building compared to the fourth.

"Not everyone would obey the limit, we're not naive enough to believe they would. But every one mph less reduces collisions by six per cent and increases the chance of survival."

The mum-of-three said if the council is serious about cutting emissions and promoting active travel as per Local Transport Plan 4, introducing standardised 20mph zones would be hugely beneficial.

Councillor Edward Heron, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Lead Member for Transport and Environment Strategy, said: “Our survey regarding 20mph speed limits is now closed and I would like to thank all the residents, parish councils and other stakeholders that took part. We received around 9,500 responses and are currently undertaking the task of analysing the feedback.

"As part of our wider review, the findings from the survey, together with data about how the highway network is currently used, enforcement, road safety, previous 20mph speed limit implementation and the associated environmental impacts, will help shape future decisions relating to 20mph speed limits in Hampshire.”