Nettleham villagers welcome A46 speed limit reduction

David Dolling says residents see "carnage" caused by speeding in Nettleham

Residents of a Lincolnshire village have welcomed the decision to reduce the local speed limit.

Lincolnshire County Council voted on Monday to lower the speed limit from 60mph to 40mph on a stretch of the A46, which runs adjacent to Nettleham.

According to the authority, nine collisions resulting in injury were recorded there in the past five years.

Resident David Dolling, 68, who has lived in Nettleham since 2009, said: "We see the carnage first-hand."

The A46 at Nettleham, where councillors have decided to reduce the speed limit to 40mph

Mr Dolling said he had witnessed about 10 serious incidents, including those that have claimed lives.

He said: "Anything they [the council] can do would be appreciated and I think that is generally the feelings of everyone around here, especially as we see the carnage first-hand."

Mr Dolling said he and his wife had a near-miss last week.

He said: "A car pulled out in front of us, causing us to do an emergency stop, and a car that was coming from Lincoln that was doing something in the region of 80mph also had to do an emergency stop."

Lucy Curtis, 47, who has run the Red Poppy Ranch for about five years, shared her relief at the decision to reduce the speed limit.

She said: "It's wonderful for us because we have our horses here and everything should be a little bit safer for us."

Lucy Curtis says the reduced speed limit will make life safer for riders

However, she was unconvinced motorists would adhere to the new speed limit, and suggested a speed camera was needed to act as a deterrent.

Referencing Lincolnshire Police's headquarters in Nettleham, Councillor Ian Fleetwood told the council meeting: "If ever there was a location in Lincolnshire where speed enforcement shouldn't be an issue, this is it."