Hampshire County Council is taking steps to roll out 30mph speed limits in villages across the county.

Last week the council launched a new ‘choose 30’ initiative to persuade motorists to slow down in villages, coinciding with the introduction of the first wave of ‘village 30’ – an ongoing programme to reduce speed limits in all Hampshire villages to 30mph.

New signs were introduced in Corhampton, the first of 43 villages to have the speed limit cut from 40mph this autumn. A further 61 villages will see their speed limits cut in the second wave of the initiative, to be introduced next spring.

The council is taking action in response to revised Department for Transport guidance on all A and B-class roads, which recommends that ‘villages should have comparable speed limits to similar roads in urban areas’ and that a 30mph limit should ‘be the norm in villages’.

Cllr Mel Kendal, Hampshire’s executive member for environment, said: ‘The introduction of 30mph speed limits in all our villages should bring huge benefits to rural communities – being able to get around one’s village freely and safely is an important part of village life.’