SPEED limits of 20mph could be imposed outside every primary school in Swindon.

Councillors meeting tonight look set to agree in principle to the new school safety zones.

But the speed limits will not come into force immediately.

Imposing a 20mph limit outside every school in Swindon would cost £2.5 million.

And council officers believe that other projects could be more effective at reducing accidents.

Westlea School, on Langstone Way, will be the first school to have the new safety zone at a cost of £20,000.

Councillors on the Transport, Environment and Neighbourhood Services Commission were expected to impose a 20mph limit outside Beechcroft Infants School in Haig Close, Upper Stratton.

But the £10,000-scheme to introduce speed humps was thrown out after councillors noted opposition from residents who also complained about parents parking outside the school.

The new scheme would have included pavement widening and traffic priority signs to discourage parents from driving into the close.

But the priority would also hinder residents leaving the close to go to work in the morning. Both parents and residents agreed with council officers that speeding was not a problem in the close because the shape of the road kept speeds down.

The issue of safety outside schools has come to the fore following the compilation of a 1,000-name petition signed by concerned Swindon parents.

According to council figures the route to and from school is a comparatively low source of accidents for children.

In the three-year period 1999-2002 there were 333 accidents in Swindon which involved children.

Of these one was fatal, 47 serious and 285 slight.

Out of the 333 total some 75 happened on the way to or from school 50 involved pedestrians, 11 cyclists and 14 car passengers.

Only 14 accidents happened outside schools over this three-year period and one of these resulted in a serious injury.

In a council report traffic officer Robert Sanders said: "Whilst the principle of 20mph speeds in the vicinity of schools is accepted, each scheme should be assessed against other accident reduction schemes."

Tonight's meeting is also to receive a petition from 84 residents of Hyde Road in Kingsdown.

They are complaining about the problem of speeding and have called for speed cameras, traffic calming and better pedestrian facilities.

According to council figures the section of Hyde Road in question has been the scene of one slight injury accident in the last five years.