Campaigners hoping to see a blanket 20mph speed limit introduced across the Whitton estate in Ipswich are vowing to keep up the pressure despite slow progress so far.

Whitton ward borough councillor Stephen Connelly raised the issue at the full meeting of Suffolk County Council – asking why it was taking so long to introduce speed limits over large areas of south-west Ipswich.

He said residents had been campaigning after a number of accidents involving children, including two fatalities five years ago.

He said there had been 30 incidents during that time, the most recent a few weeks ago when two children were hurt in Meredith Road.

Mr Connelly asked: “How many more children in Whitton need to be injured before Suffolk County Council approves and installs this Ipswich 20mph area and when can we expect this badly-needed scheme to be installed?” There were some limited 20mph zones, he added, but residents wanted to see these extended over much of the town’s Whitton and Castle Hill areas.

County councillor with responsibility for transport, Graham Newman, said officials were still looking at the proposals – however the scale of the proposed 20mph zone made it problematic.

In his reply to Mr Connelly, he said: “It is worth noting that this is a very large application covering some 83 roads and comprising of approximately 17 miles.

“A further update on the feasibility of the scheme will be given to county councillors shortly.”