A ROW has broken out in Portishead over plans to introduce a 20mph in the High Street.

Residents claim the scheme, costing around �44,000, is a complete waste of money at a time when North Somerset Council has to make millions of pounds in savings.

A 20mph limit worked well at the Cabstand and High Street junctions, which prompted suggestions to extend the limit into High Street.

However, speaking at several town council meetings over the past months, members of the public have ridiculed the idea, saying it was rare that cars are given the opportunity to exceed that speed and the money should be spent on more important things.

Resident Annette Hennessy said: “There have been nine road accidents in High Street over a three-year period where injuries have been sustained and excessive speed has not been proved to be the only contributory factor in any of them. Based on this information I cannot see how this road can be classed as a priority.”

Even Councillor Reyna Knight, whose ward includes High Street, has said there are many other roads in North Somerset which have more need for the reduced speed limit than Portishead High Street.

Portishead Town Council’s planning committee wrote to the unitary authority with reservations which went unheeded.

Councillor Colin Howells, chairman of the planning committee, said: “At a time when councils are under enormous pressure to reduce budgets this seems an unnecessary expenditure.”