NEW Forest parish councils are backing proposals to cut speed limits in all forest villages from 40mph to 30mph.

Bramshaw Parish Council, seconded by colleagues in Minstead, put their proposals to the Hampshire Association of Parish and Town Councils recently and got its backing.

The meeting was told Hampshire County Council had carried out surveys and concluded that few motorists broke the current 40mph limit, therefore no change was necessary.

However, the association agreed to try and push the county council into action.

Bramshaw councillor Denis Shaughnessy said his idea was to make New Forest villages safer for cyclists, walkers and animals.

Cllr Dr Brian Waldman, chairman of Hyde Parish Council, was in favour of the idea.

"We've been trying to get this installed for some years and we totally support the 30mph speed limit through our villages," he said.

"The main reason is that we have all the livestock and the roads are of such a narrow nature that anything over 30 is not sensible at the best of times."

Sue Allpress, clerk of Woodgreen Parish Council, said motorists in the village were already subject to a 30mph limit, "but sometimes we think it ought to be even slower".

"People don't stick to it. The key thing would be to enforce the 30mph limit."

Godshill Parish Council chairman Cllr Peter Stammers is in favour of a 30mph restriction on the B3078 through the village.

"We have been trying to put in traffic calming using build-outs because our road is a rat run in the morning and in the evening.

"We get an awful lot of cyclists coming out of Sandy Balls (holiday estate) with young families, and one holds one's breath at times."

He also wants limits backed by speed indicator devices which flash up drivers' speeds and warn them to slow down.

"They're not that expensive in relative terms: about £2,500."