A town council has agreed to adopt a campaign to bring in 20mph speed limits.

Beccles Town councillors agreed to adopt the '20's Plenty for Suffolk Campaign' at its monthly meeting last night.

The movement says it stands for "winning back your community’s streets".

It argues that it is safer for drivers and pedestrians, cleaner as 20mph reduces tail-pipe emissions by 25pc compared with 30mph and is 5pc quieter, and finally healthier.

In May the 20's Plenty for Suffolk campaign emailed all parish and town council clerks in the county information about the movement, including Beccles.

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Beccles & Bungay Journal: Nathan Fox, a Denmark Road resident in Beccles with the petition he started, pictured with his daughter Demi Fox in 2009Nathan Fox, a Denmark Road resident in Beccles with the petition he started, pictured with his daughter Demi Fox in 2009 (Image: Angela Sharpe)

Beccles & Bungay Journal: 20 mph speed limits could be introduced across our communities20 mph speed limits could be introduced across our communities (Image: Archive.)Beccles & Bungay Journal: Traffic leaving Beccles on Gillingham Dam Traffic leaving Beccles on Gillingham Dam (Image: Newsquest)

Five months later, over 40 towns and villages across the county have backed the movement or begun their own 20mph speed limit push.

The group mainly hopes to achieve a reduction in speeds in all communities across the county on roads where people and motor vehicles mix in residential areas in towns and village centres.

In order to do this, it needs as much support as it can get from parish and town councils to prove to Suffolk County Council and its highways team the popularity of the movement.

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Beccles & Bungay Journal: Rishi Sunak says he wants to stop hare-brained road calming and safety schemes, including 20mph zoneRishi Sunak says he wants to stop hare-brained road calming and safety schemes, including 20mph zone

The news comes as the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has hit out on the “war on motorists”.

He has said that he wants to end “harebrained” schemes for slower speed limits and safer, quieter roads. 

Mr Sunak said he was "slamming the brakes on the war on motorists, it's as simple as that".

He said in an interview: "What we want to do now is make sure that all these hare-brained schemes that are forced on local communities, whether it's Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, blanket 20mph speed limits, all of that... need to stop."

He conceded that 20mph zones near schools "make sense" but said they should not be done in a "blanket way" - criticising the Welsh government's decision to drop the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph for restricted roads.

Beccles & Bungay Journal: 20mph speed limits could be introduced across our communities 20mph speed limits could be introduced across our communities