SPEED limits of 20mph could be implemented across Southampton under plans by the city council.

Calls have been made recently for the limit to be brought in on "highly residential" areas of the city with road safety being branded as a big problem in the area.

Now though, civic chiefs say they are planning to implement the 20mph restriction in several roads around the city as part of existing projects, as well as future schemes.

Deputy leader of Southampton City Council and cabinet member for growth, Councillor Jeremy Moulton has revealed that areas such as around St Marks School, Bedford Place, the Flowers Estate, Lobelia Road, Woolston and Peartree could see the limits brought in.

This comes as the council says it will be putting aside half a million pounds to draw from either to compliment the existing schemes or to bring forward new ones.

Cllr Moulton explained: "When we were last in administration we were very keen on this, but at that time the Department of Transport rules were that you can't just lower the speed limit, you actually had to put in place hard engineering measures to lower speed limits.

"When we left office, the rules changed and you could just bring in 20mph limits if you wanted to via a traffic regulation order. We campaigned heavily at that point and brought motions to council and tried to persuade the then Labour administration to do this on a more wholesale basis and they were very unsupportive of that.

"Now we're in office we're in a position to do something about it. We've been campaigning on it for years so we're cracking on with it. We're putting money where our mouth is and actively bringing forward a number of schemes."

Current schemes around St Deny's and St Marks School are currently in progress and are being funded by the government's Active Travel Fund.

But now residents are being asked to approach the council if they want a 20mph limit implemented where they live.

Cllr Moulton added: "We're open to residents if they want to come to us proactively for their areas.

"If residents want 20mph limits where they live then I think what we need to understand is what the desire is in the community for that. We can't do the whole city all in one go so it's going to have to be a reactive approach responding to resident queries."

Leader for the opposition, Cllr Satvir Kaur said: “We all are fed up with our streets being used as rat-runs. It’s why Labour introduced 20mph zones around the city in the first place.

"But what matters is what actually works. And without the ability to enforce this properly, evidence shows this doesn’t work on its own.

"Labour have seen that physical built-in traffic calming measures and Active Travel Zones such as the ones we piloted in St Denys, are far more successful in reducing traffic within our communities.

"Local people like these Active Travel zones, so we hope local Tories don’t keep ripping up these popular schemes without proper investment or enforcement plans for their 20mph expansion, otherwise it just won’t work.”