THE Environment Select Committee has been accused of being “halfhearted” by campaigners for not endorsing more radical changes to 20mph policy across the county.

Salisbury City Council had wanted more widespread use of the zones following evidence that showed casualties were down by 46 per cent in 20mph areas in the city centre.

The committee has given more powers to the area boards to decide what 20mph zones they want, but for city councillor Margaret Willmot this does not go far enough.

At the meeting, she said: “Salisbury City Council in their response to the consultation on the 20mph policy said, among other things, that they would like to see the policy radically revised to include consideration of the benefits which can accrue in urban areas from reduced speeds.

“There is no mention of the Salisbury experience in the body of the report and one has to question why this has been excluded. Is the Salisbury experience not deemed relevant to Wiltshire?

“Encouraging people to walk and cycle for shorter journeys has so many benefits in terms of reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, making a community more liveable and friendly, whilst also improving health.

“The current policy supports only a half-hearted and piecemeal approach across Wiltshire and it is disappointing that evidence to support a stronger policy has been disregarded.”

The chairman of the Environment Select Committee, Peter Edge, admitted more could be done by the council and has backed the idea of a sharedspace scheme, an example of which can be seen on Station Road in Tidworth.

The first shared space in the UK was launched in Ashford, Kent, where accidents fell by 41 per cent before a successful scheme was launched in Poynton, Cheshire, but they remain controversial.

A Wiltshire council spokesman said: “Road safety is of paramount importance to Wiltshire Council and we target our resources on schemes which will improve safety, reduce collisions on the road network and save lives. We do this through a range of measures which include reductions in speed limits where appropriate.

“The use of 20mph limits is one traffic-management tool available to help us achieve our aims, however, like all speed limits, it’s important they are both practical and credible in order to achieve broad compliance from drivers and we do this by targeting specific areas where evidence shows they will be most effective.

“The centre of Salisbury has had a 20mph zone for a long period of time and is one of approximately 80 zones in Wiltshire.

“Since the introduction of Wiltshire’s 20mph speed policy we have been working closely with local residents through our community area boards to help identify potential sites for 20mph limits and there are currently 31 sites undergoing assessment.”