Speed limits of 30mph in areas with 20 houses or more are set to be imposed across the county, starting in the south.

Oxfordshire County Council drew up the £280,000 south Oxfordshire scheme, which responded to concerns of residents about the levels of traffic passing through their villages.

A campaign to promote the new speed limits, called Speedwatch, is planned to encourage motorists to obey the limits and set a good example to other drivers.

Limits will also be imposed on short lengths of road - less than 800m - between villages or hamlets.

South Oxfordshire county councillor Tony Crabbe welcomed the initiative. He said: "I think it's a wonderful idea and so do all the villages.

"We've got an increasing level of traffic on village roads and most roads aren't designed for the amount of traffic using them.

"It has become quite dangerous in villages. On some roads there are a lot of accidents."

Mr Crabbe added: "This is something which has been raised by local people, and it originated in Cuxham village. The same scheme was introduced in Suffolk a few years ago."

New speed limits will be applied in every area with 20 houses or more, or other buildings generating traffic, and will start 50m from the nearest house or building. For consistency, the whole of a village or hamlet will have the 30mph limit and the existing 40mph or 50mph limits will be changed to 30mph.

The location of the limit will take into account pedestrians and cyclists, footpaths and bridleways, future housing developments and distance from the nearest road junction.

Oxfordshire County Council budgeted for contributions of £112,000 towards the £280,000 cost from parish councils and businesses to fund the speed limit, but have so far raised only £22,000. Businesses have been unwilling or unable to help finance the scheme.

County councillors will vote on the project at a meeting of the highways and road safety sub-committee on Thursday.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.