PARISH councils are set to unite to harness the powers of a speed matrix system, in a bid to make slow-motion traffic a reality in their villages.

Members of Sowerby Parish Council have agreed to spend up to £5,000 on a portable vehicle activated sign (VAS) in an attempt to cut drivers' speeds in the village, and in what is believed to be the first scheme of its kind in North Yorkshire, will hire out the device to local counterparts.

It is thought the scheme could be replicated by parish authorities across the county in the coming months.

The move follows North Yorkshire County Council reporting a mounting number of communities registering speeding concerns and finding, following a 12-month pilot study, that the signs were a cost-effective way of cutting speeds and reassuring residents.

In Hutton Rudby, the VAS - which lights up when motorists exceed 30 or 40mph speed limits - led to a 15.4 per cent reduction in average speeds and 12.1 per cent lower speeds among the fastest drivers.

The authority, which is working towards cutting its budget by £168 million by 2020, said communities wanting VAS would have to commit to the scheme for four years, pay £500 to install a socket, and £750 annually to move the signs.

Smaller parish councils said the costs were prohibitive as it would force them to significantly raise their council tax demands.

A meeting of the Sowerby authority heard it had received complaints over many years from residents about motorists speeding in the village, particularly in Dalton Lane, Gravel Hole Lane and Topcliffe Road.

Members agreed a VAS would be more effective if it was portable as speeding hotspots could be targeted.

Councillor Peter Bardon said neighbouring councils in Dalton, where a schoolboy had recently sustained a fractured hip in a road collision, and Sessay, where drivers speed along the main street, had expressed interest in hiring a VAS from Sowerby.

He said: "I'm not saying it should be a money-making exercise, but over the years we would get our money back."

After the meeting, Councillor Carl Les, the county council leader, praised the move, saying the self-help scheme was the kind of initiative the authority was keen to support as it strived to cut its spending.

He said: "Subject to them buying the right sort of kit and meeting road safety requirements, it sounds like an interesting scheme and one I will follow with interest."