A South London council has revealed plans to introduce 20mph speed limits on more than 150 roads in the borough. Kingston Council is looking to turn residential roads that still have a 30mph speed limit in New and Old Malden into 20mph zones.

The council's New and Old Malden committee will vote on the plans on Thursday, 26 January. A report for the committee lists 155 roads as targets for the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in the neighbourhood.

A petition slamming rat-running traffic down one local road and calling for 20mph restrictions was signed by 201 residents and submitted to the council last September. It urges the authority to cut the current 30mph speed limit on Buxton Drive and surrounding roads to 20mph on "obvious safety grounds".

The petition says: "Buxton Drive is a family centric residential road. It is often used as a cut-through between Coombe Lane West, Kingston and Traps Lane New Malden. Non-resident motorists drive through at dangerous speeds. The surrounding roads also accommodate a school/college and a children's nursery." Buxton Drive has been put forward for the 20mph speed limit in the report.

A consultation on proposals to introduce 20mph measures on residential roads in Kingston was carried out in early 2020, according to the report, and each of the four neighbourhood committees is deciding the way forward for their areas.

The report adds that 70 per cent of the borough's roads are already covered by 20mph speed limits. The neighbourhood with the fewest roads restricted to 20mph is New and Old Malden – at 50pc.

The report says: "It is considered that the proposals will make our roads safer, reduce the number and severity of road casualties caused by excessive speed, and make our roads easier to use and attractive for our residents. It is anticipated that this may also reduce air pollution and encourage more people to travel by sustainable active travel modes."

Lib Dem councillor Ian Manders, portfolio holder for climate action and sustainable transport, said: "We're committed to making our roads safer and improving air quality. As an administration we fully support the move to lower speed limits which bring road safety benefits and make our streets better places for everyone to move around, particularly those on foot or cycling."