PEOPLE in Ludgershall are being asked to choose where they would like to see a new 20mph speed restricted zone introduced in the village.

At the annual parish meeting Joanne Grinter, an official from the highways department at County Hall in Trowbridge, said there will be extensive public consultation before any work is undertaken.

"The consultation will include focus groups, stakeholder groups and door-to-door surveys so that we end up with a scheme which people want," she said.

"But the scheme must be designed to improve things for pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable road users."

The new 20mph zones are not enforceable by police but contain physical features to reduce speed such as raised tables, chicanes and build-outs to control the speed of traffic. Any acceptable scheme will need to have one of these measures every 60 metres.

"Police can't enforce these limits so they have to be self-enforcing," she told the group.

Two areas - Short Street and Empress Way - were suggested at the meeting as possible areas which could benefit from this treatment. However, some people seemed unsure of the benefits of the scheme as it could reduce the number of parking spaces, especially in the Short Street area.

"Somebody has to be the loser and there is no legal right to park outside a house but we rarely have the money to do anything like this and it is a good opportunity," said the highways official.

Mrs Win Dixon said: "It would be very short-sighted to dismiss this scheme.

"The village once came within an ace of having a bypass but lost it because people couldn't agree."