Twenty miles per hour could soon be the default speed limit in Cheshire East's residential and urban roads.

Congleton ward councillor Suzie Akers Smith (Independent), the council's walking and cycling champion, has proposed a motion to adopt the policy at this week's (December 16) full council meeting.

If passed, the lower limit will apply to "central, urban and residential roads… [it is] not a blanket measure".

In the motion text, it is argued: "Reducing the default speed limit to 20mph on most urban and residential roads, except where it is safe and compatible with community needs for it to be 30mph, will encourage parents to allow their children to walk and cycle to school, creates safety for those using mobility aids and the partially sighted and will help many people feel safer cycling on the roads because lower speeds make the environment feel safer.

"This change will also reduce congestion, improve air quality and improve the fitness of the borough's residents, as well as improve the economies of town centres by making them nicer places for people to want to spend time in.

"20mph speed limits are supported by many bodies including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health, Alzheimer's Society, Cycling UK, World Health Organisation, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Transition Towns and cities, towns and parish councils and community groups."

The motion has been seconded by Labour's Cllr James Barber.

Cheshire East full council will meet online at 11am on Wednesday, December 16.