BCP Council cabinet members vote to reduce speed limits on Burley Road between Winkton to Bransgore, and A337 between Highcliffe and Walkford

SPEED limits on two major Christchurch roads have been reduced.

BCP Council members voted unanimously to reduce Burley Road from Winkton to Bransgore from the national speed limit to 40mph at a recent cabinet meeting.

They also voted unanimously to reduce the 40mph section of the A337 Lymington Road and Ringwood Road between Highcliffe and Walkford to 30mph.

Councillor Andy Hadley said Burley Road was a “very narrow” national speed limit highway with a number of farms alongside it.

He told fellow cabinet members: “It’s difficult to do more than 40mph [there] but if some mad fool were to do so, they could be better held to account over it.”

Cllr Hadley said locals were also in favour of reducing the 40mph section of the A337 by Chewton Glen, which has street lights, to 30mph.

He said the reduced limit would be good for children getting to school and for families walking along its “fairly narrow” pavements.

He added: “This is not contentious and is supported by the public quite strongly. Some people have said it’s infringing on rights to drive where we please at a speed we please, and it’s anti-car, but this is pro-safety and pro-people.”

Councillor Andy Martin, Christchurch Independents’ member for Highcliffe and Walkford, thanked council officers for helping to implement the reduced speed limits “very quickly”.