A CASH-strapped local authority has been urged to rethink its plans to charge 60 town and parish councils to put the brakes on speeding drivers.

North Yorkshire County Council said a growing number of communities had registered speeding concerns this year and were keen to have a temporary vehicle activated sign (VAS), which light up when motorists exceed 30 or 40mph speed limits.

The authority, which is working towards cutting its budget by £168m by 2020, said following a successful 12-month pilot study, the scheme would be extended to serve 60 communities.

It expects about 145 communities in the county to apply for VAS, so those interested would be entered into a draw and selected randomly.

The council views VAS as a cost-effective way of cutting motorists' speeds and providing reassurance to communities where speeding is perceived as an issue.

A meeting of the authority's executive heard scores of communities had seen VAS in operation during the pilot and had been impressed by the impact it had on motorists.

Councillor Arthur Barker said there was a lot of fear of speeding in many villages.

He said: “It could be about perception, but there is real concern that there are some speeding drivers and I share that concern, anything we can do to address these problems we should do.”

Thirty communities were involved in the pilot, including Catterick, Brompton, Gilling West , Middleham, Hutton Rudby and Sutton Under Whitestonecliffe.

In Hutton Rudby, where existing speeds were high, VAS led to a 15.4 per cent reduction in average speeds and 12.1 per cent lower speeds among the fastest drivers.

Analysis of the study found the signs had a minimal effect in locations with perceived rather than actual speeding problems.

Communities wanting VAS will have to commit to the scheme for four years and pay £500 to install a socket, £750 annually for officer time and to rotate the signs between areas (to increase their effectiveness) and £300 per speed survey.

After learning of the potential costs, some parish councils said the cost would force them to significantly raise their council tax demand.

Chairman of Sutton Under Whitestonecliffe Parish Council, Councillor Caroline Artingstoll, said VAS had been a benefit to the village, but after the pilot had finished, speeds had gone back up.

She added: “Speeding is an issue here.

"The council wasn’t prepared to do anything because we hadn’t had any deaths related to speed on the roads, but we think you should be preventing deaths not waiting for one to happen.

“We spent £930 on two signs, our parish precept is only £3,000 so we had to use our reserves.

"They obviously were a benefit, but parishioners are having to pay for road safety when it should be paid for by the county council and the Government.”