POWYS Councillors have unanimously backed a motion to bring the speed limit in towns and villages down to 20 mph.

At a meeting on Thursday, September 24, Cllr Stephen Hayes (Independent – Montgomery) put forward a motion to bring the limit down.

Cllr Hayes, said: “What this motion seeks to do is rebalance the discussion that communities have with the county council over lowering speed limits in certain areas.

“Particularly in our smaller historic towns. whose town centres are vulnerable and of exceptional historic values.

“Towns are not well designed in Powys to carry the weight and volume of traffic which passes through them.

“It threatens both their fabric and the safety and well being of residents and visitors alike.”

He added that residents needed to be given the support needed to feel comfortable about walking to school with children, biking rather than using a car and conducting their business in foot.

Cllr Jackie Charlton (Llangattock – Liberal Democrat),  who seconded the motion, said that cars may “just be doing 30 mph” as the drive through towns and villages but as they have got larger and the volume of traffic is higher, “It feels a lot more as you’re walking along the pavement”.

Cllr Kath Roberts-Jones, (Kerry – Independent), has the two trunk roads of the A489 and A483 running through her ward, which includes the village of Dolfor.

Cllr Robert-Jones said: “Having the Newtown bypass has not made a jot of of difference to my villages.”

She said that “massive lorries” continued to use drive through with schools close by.

Others would also speed through the villages

Councillors voted 59 for the motion, with one against and zero abstentions.

The motion means the council has agreed to "work collaboratively with communities" to assess the benefit of a 20mph speed limit in their town centre area.