The bill has been introduced by Scott Mann, MP for North Cornwall, who said that since taking office, he has met with numerous constituents, parish councils, and schools, and has noticed the clear need for empowerment of communities to set speed limits themselves to make their roads safer.

In his speech in the House of Commons, Mann said he wanted to empower local communities in order to make their roads safer for motorists and pedestrians, particularly children, who face hazardous walks to school due to fast-moving, high-volume traffic at peak hours.

Commenting on the bill after it was passed, Mann said: “It’s time to put the power into people’s hands. Local people know the dangers present on their community roads, so why not let them change their own speed limits?

“I’ve come across various communities in North Cornwall which suffer from speeding cars which threaten the safety of local residents. If my constituents want to lower the speed limit on their main road from 30 to 20mph, then they should have the power to do so. In 2012, over 550 people were killed on 30mph roads, whereas there were nine fatalities on 20mph roads, so the numbers speak for themselves.”

The bill was voted through in its first reading and is scheduled for a second reading on 5 February.