A PLAN to turn St Martins into a 20mph zone for traffic looks likely to be dropped.

Parish councillors were initially keen to explore the initiative and allow the village to be used as a trial in a bid to stop speeding traffic.

But now the council has been told an extended 20mph would be difficult to enforce.

Cllr Helen Williams said she had also received negative feedback from residents when they heard about the scheme.

"They think it is a lot of nonsense," she said.

"Rather than a 20mph zone, they would rather action were taken to enforce the 30mph limit already in place. If drivers could stick to that, it would make the village a much safer place."

Parish council chairman Glenn Pennington – who said local Shropshire Council member Steve Davenport, who is also the county's portfolio holder for transport and highways, had worries over the enforcement of the zone – said a 20mph limit could bring new problems.

"People speed now when the limit is 30mph," he said. "If it were 20mph, some people would stick to it but others would become impatient and try to overtake them, which could cause more accidents.

"I'd much prefer to have a 20mph zone by St Martins School but keep to 30mph elsewhere in the village."

Cllr Nini Mistry said: "If you have a 30mph zone, drivers will go at 40mph. Perhaps if the limit were 20mph, drivers would keep to 30mph.

Cllr Lesley-Anne Roberts said: "It's the the wild west sometimes in St Martins, the speed some people speed through there."

The council was told a survey had been carried out in the village previously to see whether speed cameras should be installed, but because only 15 per cent of drivers were exceeding the limit, they were not deemed viable.

Members decided to set up a new group to explore other measures to reduce traffic speed through St Martins.