It’s time to take your foot off the pedal, as Andover Town Council approved plans to purchase speed indicator signs last night (September 29).

The signs are equipped with radar, and will display a thank you or warning message depending on how fast road users are travelling.

The company which produces it claims that the sign can “help modify and correct driver behaviour with an observed speed reduction that averages around 25%.”

Five signs are to be purchased at a cost of just over £13,000, and be placed on specific roads around the town, including Ox Drove in Picket Piece, London Road, Weyhill Road, Winchester Road and Salisbury Road.

There was some debate over where the signs should be positioned exactly, with Councillor Barbara Long noting that a proposal to place a sign on Locksbridge road had been branded “completely inappropriate” by a resident, as “it is halfway through the village, so they’ve already speeded up.”

Cllr Robin Hughes, meanwhile, said that the signs must be placed “to give drivers the opportunity to slow down safely. It’s no good having these right on the edge of a change from a 50 or 40 to a 30 because drivers may not be able to change down that quickly without breaking sharply.”

In the end, the town council resolved to approve the locations that had been provided by Hampshire County Council, as well as inquiring after further recommendations made during the meeting. This will allow full use of the signs’ ability to be moved between different posts to help slow drivers down.

The Council will also be submitting requests for grants from Test Valley Borough Council and the county council in order to help fund the cost of the signs, though the town council has already approved the use of its own funds to pay for them in full if needed.

The plans passed unanimously, with officers now reaching out for grants and to check alternative sites for the signs before the purchases are made.