THE CITY’S 20 mph zone should be extended to all Brighton and Hove streets to reduce accidents and injuries, a councillor has claimed.

Green Councillor Dick Page has called for a blanket 20mph zone across the city as the initial success of the scheme in reducing deaths and serious injuries had “stalled”.

The move would mean the limit would be applied to scores of city streets not included in the previous three phased roll-out of 20mph zones.

The 20mph speed limit was first introduced in the city centre in April 2013 and widened out over the following two years at a cost of around £1.5 million.

Initial figures showed the number of collisions in 2013/14 had dropped by 16 per cent compared to the 2010-2013 average while numbers of killed or injured fell by 12 per cent.

But Sussex Safer Roads accident stats for all roads in the city show the number of injured has risen from 908 in 2013 to 986 in 2014 and 986 in 2015 leading to the calls for greater action.

Figures up to July this year show casualty numbers are on course to drop this year by almost ten per cent.

Cllr Page said 51 English councils had a blanket 20 mph speed limit in urban areas while 95 per cent of transport authorities in Scotland supported 20mph as a default speed limit.

He told The Argus: “I am not reassured that our current administration is trying very hard to really reduce vulnerable road user casualties.

“A recent petition to the environment, transport and sustainability committee after a near-fatal collision at Lewes Road and Elm Grove, was told they are "reviewing the efficiency" of the junction.

“There was no mention of making it safer.

“Using the roads is the most dangerous thing most of us do every day and yet the police are still not enforcing 20 mph so there is much more that could be done.”

Labour’s Gill Mitchell rejected the call saying the council’s street-by-street approach to 20 mph had been brought in by the Greens themselves.

And she said concerns remain about whether police can enforce the 20mph limit.

She said: “I share your disappointment that the 20mph speed limits are not being adhered to but of course it was your Green administration that applied those limits in that particular way, not a blanket approach but road-by-road following consultation with residents so we are where we are.

“I’m not sure a default 20mph zone would be adhered to any more than 20 mph limits are being adhered to now.

“Enforcement is the responsibility of Sussex Police and there were some rather mixed messages around when the 20mph limits were introduced over whether police would be prepared to enforce that limit or not and I think that is still a bit of a grey area.”