A decision on plans to introduce a new 20mph zone across Soham has been delayed. 

Cambridgeshire County Council has said councillors decided to delay making a decision on the scheme in order to talk to the public more about the plans. 

The authority said it was looking into whether this was possible and what the next steps for the project will now be. 

The county council had been considering introducing the new 20mph zone in the town following a request from Soham Town Council. 

Some of the roads in Soham already have a 20mph speed limit, but under the plans this would be extended across the town. 

The project was part of the county council’s wider aims to introduce more 20mph speed limits across Cambridgeshire to try and improve road safety, as well as to encourage people to walk and cycle more, and reduce pollution. 

The county council did invite people to share their views on the proposed 20mph zone. 

A report published by the authority set out the different responses it had received, including objections from some claiming it would be a “waste of money”. 

One person said: “Promoting lower speed limits will be costly in road signs and is unnecessary in a town that is not policed. 

“Everyone in Soham already knows that they can park wherever they like and not adhere to speed limits because they are not being watched. 

“So, what makes the authority think that it will be any different just by wasting money on 20mph signposts. It won’t make any difference at all.” 

County council officers said they acknowledged there would be “very little police enforcement” of the 20mph speed limit, but said evidence suggested speeds would still be reduced, which they said would improve safety. 

They also said the amount of new signs put up would be kept to a minimum. 

However, others in the town had voiced support for the change, with one person saying they believed it was a “step in the right direction”. 

They said: “I was aware when purchasing our home in Soham that it was on a busy road, however I was comforted by the fact that this is in a 30mph zone. 

“However, within a short space of time it became apparent that this did not mean much with regular high speed traffic – 60mph plus – going past the front of our home, which stands between existing traffic calming measures – speed bumps and a pinch point. 

“I think the proposal may help reduce the traffic for those currently doing 30mph to 20mph, and may even help reduce those regularly doing 40mph in the current 30mph to reduce [their speed], which will also be a benefit.” 

The county council has not yet set a date for when the proposals will be considered again. 

A county council spokesperson said: “Councillors deferred the decision on whether to adopt a 20mph scheme in Soham as they would like further public engagement to be carried out. We’re looking into if this is possible and what the next steps might be.”