TWENTY is plenty for more than 50 roads in St Albans city centre which became subject to reduced speed limits this week.

The new 20mph zones have been introduced as part of a pilot scheme to test the effectiveness of slashing speed limits in residential streets.

Areas affected by the self-enforced speed change include those within the city centre’s conservation area including St Michael’s Street, Fishpool Street, Abbey Mill Lane, St Peter’s and Catherine Streets and Verulam Road.

The £50,000 scheme was initiated by lobbying from local residents and has since received support from the Highways Joint Member Panel, which includes representatives of St Albans district and Herts county councils.

Chairman of the panel, Cllr Julian Daly, said: “It came about because of a combination of things but safety is part of it and recognising it as a residential area not a cut through. There was a sense from residents that cars were going too fast.”

He went on to explain signs have been put up to alert drivers to the new 20mph zones but were deliberately kept to a minimum to avoid the conservation area being “cluttered”.

Cllr Daly added: “I am very pleased it is finally in place so we can now go from the engineering and legal side to the reality.

“We have got all the signs up and can now see if it works which I am sure it will do. I have done a lot of canvassing in that area and there was very solid support for it.”

A survey conducted by St Albans Green Party also revealed this week that 73 per cent of residents from Clarence and St Peter’s wards thought reducing traffic speed was ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’.

The Greens are campaigning locally for a blanket 20mph speed limit in residential areas, which they believe is cheaper and more effective and will reduce the need for lots of signs.