Calls to reduce the speed at a major road in Royston were made by councillors at a town council meeting on Monday.

Councillors voted in favour of changing speeds at the stretch of Baldock Road between McDonald’s at the A505 roundabout and the town centre.

The councillors agreed to ask police to enforce a 40mph limit from the stretch of road between McDonald’s and the new Keir development, and then a 30mph speed limit from that point into the town centre.

The town council will also ask police if they are prepared to enforce the proposed speed limit with speed checks, and until changes are made, whether they are willing to enforce the current speed limit with permanent cameras.

However, Heath ward councillor Rod Kennedy thought the council’s proposal did not go far enough to tackle speeding in Baldock Road.

He said: “Baldock Road is the most appalling scene I have ever come across.

“It’s imperative that before someone is injured, the speed limit is reduced, but more importantly that the speed limit is properly enforced.”

Councillor Kennedy proposed pinch points to be put in the road to encourage drivers to slow to 30mph at the Keir development, but he disagreed with the council that a 40mph limit should be put in place from the A505 roundabout.

He said: “My concern with asking for 40 mph from McDonald’s is that there is no need for the limit at that point and it would be ignored.

“I think asking for the limit at that point weakens the case for the 30 mph zone and a lead-in 40 mph zone.”

In a letter to the Crow last week, Safer Neighbourhood Team Sgt Guy Westwood said tackling speeding will be a top priority in Royston for 2015, due to the level of concern in the community.

Last week it was reported that a total of 1,511 speeders were caught in Baldock Road in the last five years using mobile cameras, making it one of the top ten roads for speeding fines in North Herts and Stevenage.

Herts county councillor for Royston Fiona Hill said: “Any speed limits that are implemented have to be agreed by the police that they will enforce them. If they don’t agree, they have to be self-enforcing.”