Councillors will decide how to respond to a petition to reduce the speed limit on Portland Beach Road.

A Dorset County Council (DCC) panel will meet today to consider a petition of more than 280 signatures, calling for a speed limit reduction on the road connecting Weymouth and Portland.

The petition, organised by Weymouth resident Tracy Ballentine, states: “We the undersigned are concerned residents who urge DCC to act now to lower the speed limit on the Portland Beach Road making it a safe place for all.”

It contains 282 signatures including from a windsurfer who said he was forced to ‘dodge 60mph traffic while carrying equipment’.

A report by head of highways, Andrew Martin outlines the Department for Transport guidelines for setting speed limits as policy, adopted by the council.

He said although there were various criteria that needed to be satisfied for a speed limit to be reduced, limits should be set at a level that is ‘self enforcing’ – meaning current speeds should be close to the proposed lower limit.

The current speed limit is set at 60mph between Portland Road and Hamm Roundabout, 50mph between Hamm Roundabout and Osprey Quay Roundabout and drops to 40mph and then 30mph between Osprey Quay and Victoria Square.

The latest traffic survey data for Portland Beach Road, in May 2017, showed the mean average speed of traffic was 44.5mph.

Since January, there have been significant delays and slow moving traffic on Portland Beach Road due to roadworks by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.

Mr Martin said speed limits were also reduced where there is an “evidenced need for a reduced risk or if a discernible difference in driver behaviour would be achieved.”

The report said between September 2012 and August 2017 there were 20 crashes on the Portland Beach Road - one fatal, eight serious and 11 that resulted in slight injury.

The data, provided by Dorset Police included all collisions reported to the police which resulted in personal injury.

Mr Martin said if a speed limit reduction were to be supported by the council, it was important to consider the request is one of 120 requests for a new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) across Dorset.

and the cost of introducing a TRO would likely to be between £6,500 and £7,500.

The panel must decide whether to grant the petition request.

If the request is not granted, the council must conclude response action which may include:

n considering the petition at a council meeting

n holding an inquiry

n undertaking further research

n holding a public meeting or consultation

n referring the petition for consideration by the council’s Audit and Governance Committee

n calling a referendum