A NEW policy on 20mph speed restrictions has been criticised from all directions in Salisbury.

Wiltshire Council has indicated that as part of its new policy, it will not introduce 20mph restrictions across the city and will only allow area boards to put forward two locations a year for assessment.

At a meeting of Salisbury Area Board, many speakers said the plans were too timid while a city councillor warned about the potential cost.

Councillor Andrew Roberts, leader of Salisbury City Council, and Wiltshire councillor Helena McKeown said the proposed policy lacked ambition. Cllr Roberts said of the city council: “Our preference is for a 20mph restriction for the whole city. If you do that it will be easier to police.” He said it was “defeatist” for Wiltshire only to be prepared to install 20mph restrictions where drivers were already going slowly. Cllr McKeown said the cost of road accident injuries should be part of the equation.

City councillor Margaret Wilmot said she was a keen cyclist and wanted to see 20mph restrictions “rolled out across the city”. Such speed limits would especially help areas like Bemerton where there were no pavements in some streets.

Board vice-chairman Brian Dalton said Harnham and Bemerton Heath were suitable for 20mph zones.

But city councillor Matthew Dean said it would be far too expensive to install all the restrictions campaigners wanted because 20mph zones required speed cushions and the like. He said: “There needs to be an element of realism here.”

Noting what had been said, board chairman Ricky Rogers said it was still likely that money would be available from developers of new housing estates.