PLANS to introduce 20mph speed limits in a town centre will be discussed at a meeting next week.

Councillors said the plans for Richmond town centre have caused disquiet and question whether the limits are needed.

But traffic officials at North Yorkshire County Council said the limits were only proposed after detailed public consultation and were needed to make the town safer.

The speed limits are part of the Richmond Traffic Management Strategy, which was adopted by the county council in 2002.

Since then, officers have been consulting councillors, residents and business people before working out a set of detailed proposals.

Richmond Town Council has called a meeting for next week to discuss the issue, with the proposed 20mph limits likely to be high on the agenda.

Richmondshire District Councillor for Richmond East, Tom Burrows, said: "There is a little bit of disquiet that it is a main route to the Dales and it might put people off.

"I think some people say that there is quite a lot of traffic build-up now and at certain times there is no way you can do 20mph, so what is the point of putting the limits in?

"I have not made my mind up yet about the proposals and want to listen to all the arguments first."

Colin Brown, traffic management team leader at the county council, said the need to lower the speed limits was brought up during consultation on the initial strategy published in 2002.

"One of the specific elements of that strategy was the desire to make the town safer for pedestrians - safer, and more attractive - so that people would be encouraged to walk around the town," he said.

"Part of this is to reduce traffic speeds because that creates a more pleasant environment for people on foot, so we have come up with this scheme."

The Richmond Town Council meeting takes place in the council chamber on Wednesday, at 6.30pm and is open to the public.

Plans detailing the proposals are on display in Richmond Town Hall until tomorrow.