A 20mph limit scheme looks set to be implemented in Sevenoaks after being given the nod by councillors.

The new speed limit for residential areas and roads by schools has been recommended for approval by the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board.

The board is made up of councillors from Sevenoaks District Council and Kent County Council (KCC). The final decision will now go to KCC.

This comes after 2,542 people responded to a second consultation launched by Sevenoaks Town Council, which asked people for their views on the changes.

Some 1,677 residents – or 66% of respondents – supported a 20mph limit in residential streets and those close to schools.

Several main roads will not be included in the new zone, including Mount Harry/Hitchen Hatch Road, St Botolph’s Road and the A225 from the Vine to the Bat and Ball junction.

The A224 Tubbs Hill and part of London Road to the junction of Pembroke Road were already excluded from the scheme.

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Chairman of the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board, Cllr Irene Roy, says the scheme will “improve safety” for residents and road users.

She said: “Our communities have shown they support 20mph on residential roads and near schools, but too many residents were against a town-wide scheme.

"The Government has also told us that 20mph limits should only be introduced in residential areas where there is strong local support.

“We believe we have been true to the results of the consultation while following the Government’s highway guidance.”

It is the latest Kent council looking to adopt the 20mph speed limit following the example set in Wales.

Faversham rolled out a full 20mph zone in and around its town centre in 2022. Some 40 roads in Ashford have also made the switch, as has Harrietsham, near Maidstone, and various areas of Tonbridge.

Meanwhile, on the A2 in Newington, near Sittingbourne, the speed limit was put in place in April 2022 after a four-year battle. But it was a divisive decision, which saw all four of its speed zone signs vandalised in the summer.

The movement is fuelled by the likes of the UN General Assembly which has concluded that 20mph is the right speed limit in places where people and motor vehicles mix.

But their implementation has proved controversial, with critics claiming lowering the speed limit lengthens journey times and is difficult to enforce.

However, the benefits include better public health and wellbeing, a drop in casualties and injuries, and a decrease in rush-hour traffic through residential areas.

The schemes are also seen as a low-cost initiative, which Sevenoaks Town Council says will deliver “instant improvements” for residents, schools and commuters.