A speed limit has been reduced on a New Forest road - despite police not supporting the decision.

Hampshire County Council has reduced the speed limit on a 200-metre stretch of the A4337 Milford Road in Everton from 40mph to 30mph.

While residents supported the measure, police opposed the scheme and said officers would not specifically enforce it.

The stretch in question is east of the access road towards Efford Household Waste Recycling Centre.

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The single-carriageway road between Everton and Pennington is nearly unlit, but it becomes well-lit once the speed limit changes to 30 mph.

The decision was made in response to recent housing developments in the area, the council said.

Highway works will involve widening Milford Road, creating a junction access with a right-turn lane for the development, improving footways, establishing a pedestrian and cycle crossing island on Milford Road, and relocating an existing bus stop.

Police traffic management officer Jeff Stone said that extending the 30mph zone is excessively long and will have a negative impact on the area.

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Mr Stone said: “The speed limit will be by order and therefore not lit by lamp columns. Being a new 30mph limit will mean motor vehicles will be able to park unlit overnight, and any vehicles doing so will present a hazard to the considerable unlit portion west of the recycling centre access road.

“Pushing the 30 limits too far out into the countryside will mean the significance and impact of the limit in the location of major development is diminished. Extending by only 100 metres west would provide the same amount of increased safety to existing properties but reduce the 30 limit extending unnecessarily into the rural area between Pennington and Everton.”

He said Hampshire Constabulary did not support the decision but would not submit a formal objection.

He added: “There should be no expectation for police enforcement of the new speed limit due to the above observations. As such, there will be no specific deployment of resources for speed enforcement beyond that of routine police patrols.”

Fiona Rogers, resident of Efford Mill, said the relocation of the 30mph sign is needed given the “imminent housing development”.

She said: “The exit from the new housing onto the already very busy and dangerous A337 Milford Road will need to be carefully designed, and traffic calming by way of an extended 30mph limit will obviously be part of that highway modification.”