A ROW is brewing between Dulverton Town Council and county highways chiefs over speed limits in the town.

Town councillors originally wanted to see the existing 30mph limit reduced in all areas to 20mph, a suggestion that was rejected by highways engineers.

Instead, staff at WS Atkins proposed to improve road safety by creating an 'artificial footpath' - a white line painted on the road with silhouettes of pedestrians.

That suggestion infuriated town councillors and a meeting was called between the two parties.

Town councillors agreed to water down their requests as a compromise by asking for a 20mph area to be restricted to a more limited area in the town centre and along Northmoor Road.

But, according to town councillors, that suggestion was also flatly rejected by highways engineers, who wanted the town centre to remain at 30mph and for a reduced 20mph limit to only be implemented in parts of Lady Street and Northmoor Road.

In a highly critical letter to WS Atkins, Dulverton town Cllr George Woolley said it was imperative highways bosses were aware of the strength of feeling in the town on the subject of road safety.

On behalf of the town council he wrote: "This council is totally committed to road safety and, in particular, subscribes to the proven philosophy that speed kills.

"Its attempts, however, to deal with this issue have been consistently thwarted by the inertia and active resistance of the county council's highways office.

"This council consists of ten members and, with one abstention, voted to reduce the existing 30mph speed limit to 20mph.

"The need was more than emphasised by a petition being signed by 87 per cent of residents of one of the roads affected.

"Despite the unanimity of this decision, your council [county] saw fit to overrule the request."

He accused WS Atkins of ignoring "local expertise" and questioned why the village of Milverton qualified for a 20mph speed limit through its centre, when Dulverton did not.

And he warned: "This council stands ready to discuss this matter further with your appropriate officers, but will not stand by without protest."

A spokesman for Somerset County Council stressed no final decisions had been taken on changing any speed limits in Dulverton as proposals were still at the consultation stage.

She said 20mph speed limits tended to be used solely in areas "with particular difficulties" and around schools.

The consultation process runs until August 2.