A residential home in Dereham has backed calls for a reduced speed limit on one of the major routes into the town despite Norfolk County Council stating that no change will be made due to a lack of serious accidents.

Quebec Hall, a care home located on Quebec Road in Dereham has joined Hoe Parish Council in calling for a 40mph speed buffer to be implemented on Holt Road / B1146, starting at Brick Kiln Farm, near Fakenham, and ending at the start of a 30mph restriction on Quebec Road.

The section of road is currently marked as a national speed limit area but parish council clerk, Trevor Wood, said the speed limit should be reduced to 40mph due to a number of hazards on or near the national speed limit zone, including Quebec Hall and Northgate High School.

Now a spokesperson from Quebec Hall has said that the home fully supports Mr Wood's effort to change the speed limit and they do not want to see action being taken only after an accident.

'Quebec Hall generates a lot of road traffic, including residents of the Hall and its associated 42 sheltered accommodation bungalows,' the spokesperson said.

'People cannot reach our complex from the town direction without having to slow down, stop and make a turn across a fast carriageway. The junction of the driveway with the road has restricted visibility and we are acutely aware of the risk to life and limb of all road users.

'I understand the official view is that there have not been sufficient serious accidents per million vehicle miles to justify an automatic reduction in the speed limit. We would be very sorry to see this stretch of the road retrospectively qualify for restriction at some time in the future, simply because action wasn't taken now.'

Dereham Town Council also supports the measure but Norfolk County Council said that all requests need to be in line with the Speed Management Policy.

A spokesperson said: 'The history of road traffic collisions that cause injuries is an important criteria when prioritising where we should focus our limited resources. Buffer zones are useful in some circumstances in order to improve compliance with a lower speed limit if the characteristics of the road are such that it is likely or evident that compliance is or will be low.'