COMMUNITY leaders in a Peeblesshire village are taking matters into their own hands in a bid to curb speeding motorists.

West Linton will investigate the possibility of self-funding a scheme for a 20mph blanket speed limit if the local authority refuses to back the plan.

Community council member David Small is adamant that a reduction of speed is necessary in the conservation village.

He has the backing of Tweeddale West councillor Willie Archibald, who represents the village on Scottish Borders Council. But not all members of West Linton Community Council are convinced that a reduction in the limit is necessary.

Mr Small said: “If a child gets knocked down by a vehicle travelling at 30mph there’s no chance, but at 20mph there is a chance of survival.

“I can see no reason why anyone would think a 30mph limit is better and if the council won’t agree to doing this, we should get costings and do it ourselves.” Councillor Archibald said: “I have sympathy for this and would be minded to support it.

“There are a lot of places in Scotland bringing in 20mph limits. They have it in some parts of Edinburgh and it appears to work well.” Mr Small first put forward the idea of a reduced speed limit at a council meeting last October - and he is confident a large majority of residents would be in favour of the idea.

But community council chairman Eric Small is not so sure and he said: “The 20mph limit would only be advisory and some drivers would just ignore it, knowing that no action could be taken against them.

“I am sure there are some people in the village who will say 20 is fast enough but there’s not a big outcry for it.” Another community council member Kenny Love said: “Round the school there is a definite need for a 20mph limit but we don’t need a blanket ban, The biggest issue for me is on the top road where we need something like average speed cameras put in.” David Small added: “This will be an advisory 20mph limit but it will put into people’s mindset that they should be slowing down. We got double yellow lines put in to sort out some of the parking problems and that worked. What price do we put on somebody getting seriously injured?” Councillor Archibald said the matter could be discussed at the next meeting, in May, of the Tweeddale Area Forum wich does have the authority to recommend speed limit changes.

“We need to get together and find out the views of residents to see if this is something they want,” he said.

“It’s good that we are discussing this. Community councils exist for issues of this sort. The Forum has the powers to authorise this, but it is up to us to make a case.”