BRIGHTON and Hove City Council has been urged to take more time to study evidence of the effect of its 20mph speed limit roll out as it prepares to launch a consultation on the third phase of the city-wide scheme.

Residents will be given their say on the new proposals, which would include Hangleton, Woodingdean, Ovingdean, Saltdean and Rottingdean.

It follows the roll-out of phase one which saw the new limit on roads in the city centre.

Phase two followed with the majority of roads between Portslade in the west to Moulsecoomb and Whitehawk in the east and Coldean in the north subject to the new restrictions.

The names of the roads to be included in the third phase have not yet been released but a council spokesman said they would include the vast majority bar “major trunk roads”.

But motoring campaigner Steve Percy said more feedback was needed before residents were asked for their views of phase three.

He said: “We are being asked to decide on the future of the roads in Brighton and Hove less than a year after the first phase was introduced. We need more feedback and more hard facts before we can make an informed decision.”

He added: “I also have concerns with phase three given that it includes large areas of the suburbs.

“I know people who live there and they don’t have the same problems faced by many in the city.

“As the old saying goes, if it ‘aint broke don’t fix it’.”

Consultation for phase three is set to launch later in the spring. Depending on the outcome, the third phase could be introduced in 2015.

Ian Davey, chairman of the council’s transport committee, urged people to support the new roll-out, stating that early results from phase one showed a decrease in traffic speed on 74% of roads.

He added that collisions and casualties were also down where the limit had been implemented.

He said: “We are already starting to see the benefits of lower limits in central Brighton and Hove with fewer people being hurt on our roads.

“That means people can gradually feel safer on the streets where they live, making neighbourhoods more accessible and pleasant for everyone.

“When consultation takes place later this year I’d urge people to look at the evidence from the many towns and cities with 20mph and the positive evidence we already have here in Brighton and Hove - and support the proposals.”