At Wiltshire County Council's regulatory committee a big step was taken forward in improving the safety for our young people in and around schools in Wiltshire this week.

The fact that the council has agreed to introduce 20mph limits within zones rather than stretches of roads of less than 500m will improve safety not only for our young people but residents in the area.

The county council must be congratulated on this step forward. Indeed it is a big step forward considering they were ruling this out only a matter of a few years ago when we first launched our campaign.

In other areas it is suggested that we look at 30mph limits outside most other schools within the county. Again this is an improvement, compared with such places such as Forest and Sandridge and George Ward schools, Melksham, that have suffered 40mph and 50 mph limits.

It must be remembered that this is only policy, the ruling group isn't suggesting that this happens overnight and any move to introduce these speed limits would have to go to the speed limit annual review in March.

We will be pressing for this new policy to be put in place as from March in the worst areas of the county.

However, you must forgive us for suggesting we could have done better. We will continue to campaign until the county council agrees to introduce 20mph limits outside all Wiltshire schools. Yes there would be a cost to this, we are not suggesting for one moment this is done overnight.

A planned programme to spread the cost would be the way forward, with the most dangerous schools being done first, at many schools some kind of traffic calming could be required to make these limits work.

We know these limits can and do work, we have contacted every council in the UK, and we have details on file. In fact in Bath and NorthEast Somerset Council they are looking at ways of improving safety even further.

So the message for Wiltshire County Council is clear, we welcome the action you have taken, but we will continue to campaign until you fall in line with other councils such as Bath and North East Somerset and other councils who put young people's safety FIRST.

Cllr T Chivers and Cllr A Barker,

Holt Ward and Melksham Town Ward