A LIST of roads in Westhoughton where 20 mph zones are to be introduced has been released.

The roads included are part of a £500,000 scheme to introduce new speed limits on residential roads across Bolton.

Areas of Farnworth, Great Lever, Halliwell, Harper Green, Little Lever and Darcy Lever, Smithills, Tonge with the Haulgh, Blackrod, Halliwell and Crompton already have the limit in place.

Councillor David Chadwick said: “There have already been areas in Westhoughton that have been made into 20mph zones such as the Metal Box estate and the Molyneux estate.

“Certain areas have been done before others because of the number of access points to the roads.

“I fully support the 20mph zones and if you go into other towns such as Chorley or Wigan they have already got them so we are a little bit behind but this project does take significant investment.

“We need to change the attitude of drivers.

“They need to understand that this is a maximum limit not a minimum.

“There are too many people that get in their cars and take no heed to the speed limits.”

The scheme has been paid for from one-off £500,000 capital funding.

Town councillor David Wilkinson said that while he supports the 20mph zones he does not think they are being put in “problem areas”.

He added: “The 20mph zones are about road safety.

“Most people will think that it has been affective but it is being put on a lot of streets that drivers cannot get up to that speed anyway because of parked cars.

“We still have dangerous roads where there are real speed problems. I understand that the council will be impending this scheme on all residential roads but I think there are areas that could be done first as a matter of safety.”

Bolton Council expects that the reduced limit will be in place in two-thirds of residential roads by March next year. Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Nick Peel, stressed that road safety was a priority for the council.

He said: “We have made a commitment to improving road safety and reduced speed limits on residential roads will undeniably make roads safer and help our local communities. It might take a while to see the benefits of the lower speed limits but what we do know is that with lower speeds there will be fewer injuries and deaths.”

Roads in Westhoughton where 20mph zones are to be introduced

Back Leigh Road

Back Leigh Road West

Back Market Street South

Back Wigan Road

Leigh Road

Back George Street

Back Howarth Street

Back Mabel Street, North

Back Mabel Street, South

Back Park Road, South

Back Rosebery Street

Back Wood Street East

Back Wood Street West

Bowlands Hey

Clough Fold

Coverdale Road

Dalton Fold

Dobb Brow Road

Edward Street

Esther Fold

Fairstead Close

George Street

Green Meadows

Howarth Street

Industrial Street

Landedmans

Lower Landedmans

Mabel Street

Marsden Street,

Old Lane

Park Edge

Quakerfields

Roscoes Court

Rosebery Street

Sandyway Close

School Street

Stanley Close

Templeton Close

The Fairways

The Welland

Victoria Street

Wade Bank

Wood Street