A SURVEY has been sent to Whitchurch residents who will be directly affected by a trial to lower speed limits to 20mph.

The town is one of 10 places earmarked for the £200,000 ‘Residential 20’ scheme, put forward by Hampshire County Council to make roads safer.

The scheme could cost up to £48,000 for Whitchurch alone and would cover many of the town’s central roads, where speed limits are currently 30mph.

These include Alliston Way, Daniel Road, Evingar Road, and Lynch Hill Park, as well as parts of London Street, London Road, Micheldever Road, Winchester Street and Winchester Road.

Some 10,000 people in Hampshire who live in roads where the 20mph speed limit is proposed will receive questionnaires asking them what they think of the plan.

There will then follow advertising of the proposals before work on the affected roads starts this Spring.

Councillor Mel Kendal, executive member for environment and transport at Hampshire County Council, urged people to respond to the letters.

He said: “It is essential for us to establish that we have the support of local people.”

The 20mph areas will be identified by road signs and marking on the road surface.

The county council said the police are unlikely to treat enforcement as a priority in the residential 20mph areas, but community speed watch programmes could help compliance.

The schemes are likely to stay in place, unless there are problems, but will be assessed, county officers say.