City's speed limits could be cut to 20mph

Colchester City Council will debate plans to reduce the speed limit on many of the city's roads to 20mph (32km/h)

Speed limits on most roads in a city could be reduced to 20mph (32km/h) under plans being considered by councillors.

Colchester City Council will debate a proposal to ask Essex Highways to consider reducing speed limits on roads "where people live, work, play or learn".

"It's mainly about saving lives and the fact that speed kills," Green Party councillor Mark Goacher, who backed the idea, told BBC News.

Rory Ling, who runs a courier company in the city, said he felt it would be "unenforceable" and could cause traffic issues on busy roads.

'Default speed limit'

The proposal will be discussed at a meeting next week after being put forward by the leader of Colchester's Labour group, Julie Young.

If it is supported by enough members, the Liberal Democrat-led authority will write to Essex Highways to request 30mph (48km/h) speed limits only be used in exceptional circumstances.

"The idea is it would be a default 20mph speed limit where people and cars are likely to meet, not busy roads out in the sticks," said Goacher, who does not drive.

He said some people "might think differently" about taking short car journeys, choosing to cycle or walk instead.

Mr Ling said speed limits should be assessed on a case-by-case basis rather than adopting a "blanket approach".

Taylen Ireton died after leaving a party at the Cherry Tree pub in Colchester in September

The national 20's Plenty campaign set up a group in Colchester in October, as first reported by the Daily Gazette.

It followed the death of 13-year-old Taylen Ireton who was hit by a car in the city's Mersea Road in September.

More than 1,700 people signed a petition earlier this year urging the county council to introduce traffic-slowing measures in the road after his death.

Earlier in September, a speeding driver was convicted of death by dangerous driving after his car fatally struck a 17-year-old pedestrian in central Colchester.