RESIDENTS are having their say on a plan to lower the speed limit through a part of Weymouth.

People gathered at the first of two public consultations organised by Dorset County Council about limiting the speed to 20mph through Westham.

The council wants to find out if residents want the restriction and where.

A proposed area includes roads between Conifers Primary School, Weymouth Golf Club, Beechcroft St Pauls CE VA Primary School, Abbotsbury Road and part of Chickerell Road.

Charlotte Lown, 31, from Westham, said: “I think as a driver, as a cyclist and as a mother, cars need to slow down in Westham.

“I’ve got a little girl and I want to walk with her across the road without feeling we’re both at risk.”

Father Richard Harper, of St Pauls Church, said a number of the church’s congregation had attended to have their say.

He said: “I’m really happy for the church to be used for this. I think there are serious decisions to make particularly with regards to the safety of young people.”

Cllr Mike Byatt, chairman of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee, attended the consultation and endorsed the proposal.

He said: “This will be the first done like this in Weymouth. It will be a really good initiative to see how it works.

David Harris, county councillor for Westham, is supporting an extension of the 20mph speed limit in the area.

He said: “We’re talking about almost 3,000 people affected by this: 3,000 adults, let alone their children. It is not a major change to the engineering of the roads.

Andrew Brown, traffic engineering team manager at Dorset County Council, said the potential zone would be managed by lines and signs.

He said: “The most important thing is we’re doing a lot of before and after studies on traffic, on speed and the residents’ perception of how safe it is.

“We’ve got £50,000 through the Local Transport Plan and the Local Sustainable Transport fund. Those are the key drivers for this.”

Mr Brown said residents’ responses would be analysed before moving forward any further but a speed limit could be in place by spring 2015. The next consultation will be held at the Community Safety Centre on Radipole Lane on Thursday, October 2 between 2.30pm and 7pm. For more information of if you cannot attend, email trafficengineering@dorsetcc.gov.uk