BLACKBURN with Darwen highways boss Maureen Bateson has given the green light for the borough’s latest 20 mph hour zone, promising to consider similar speed limits in other residential areas where justified.

She and council leader Kate Hollern outlined council measures to boost driver and child road safety education in response to the Lancashire Telegraph’s ‘Slower Speeds, Safer Children’ campaign.

The new Mill Hill scheme will be sign-only, like Lancashire County Council’s programme covering all its residential areas.

Coun Bateson this month gave the final go-ahead for the Mill Hill project to start later this year and is finalising the details of the streets covered.

She and Coun Hollern made clear they would not approve the 20 mph blanket limit for all borough residential roads as urged by the Telegraph campaign but outlined how they are seeking to meet its aims of improved road safety education for drivers and children.

Coun Bateson said: “Road safety is a major priority for the council. We will introduce this pilot sign-only zone in Mill Hill and look at the results. We may bring in further zones across the borough if the evidence justifies them.”

Coun Hollern highlighted the latest figures which show just eight children seriously injured on borough roads last year and said: “The carefully targeted measures we are taking are working. We have not had a child road death since 2006.

“Education is part of our key role. We have delivered road safety education and training to thousands of children in schools and in the community.

“I have visited St Anne’s and Ashleigh schools to see for myself. A lot of the problem is careless parking. In most of our residential streets, motorists cannot drive above 20 mph. Speed was a factor in only three accidents involving pedestrians last year.

“We are working with the police on driver training and on engagement sessions where speeding and careless drivers are educated about the danger they cause.”

LibDem leader David Foster said: “I am pleased there is some action after almost two years of dilly-dallying but I am not sure this brings the 20 mph limit for residential streets any closer.”