A NEWLY-INTRODUCED 20 miles per hour speed limit in East Linton is “not working”.

The near-community-wide reduced speed limit came into force at the beginning of last month.

The scheme, which has seen the speed limit on the majority of East Linton’s streets reduced from 30mph to 20mph, will run until the end of next year before East Lothian Council weighs up whether it becomes permanent.

Barry Craighead, one of the village’s community councillors, felt there was plenty of work to be done before it could be considered a success.

Mr Craighead said: “It is not working at the moment.

“I do not know how it is intended to be policed but apart from anything else it is very badly signed. Nobody really understands it.

“We are asking for road markings to be put down on the road but nobody is paying any attention.

“We got a lot of publicity about it being the ‘in thing’ and how we fought to get it but the speeding is just the same – it is the status quo.”

The 20mph limit covers much of the village, with the speed limit at entrances to the village initially dropping from the national speed limit to 30mph and then into a 20mph area.

East Lothian Council’s road services team undertook an extensive consultation exercise in May last year. That included a letter being sent to every property in the village and the proposed road traffic order was also posted on the council’s consultation hub for comment.

The issue was raised at the ward’s community and police partnership (CAPP) meeting last Thursday evening.

Police Constable Gavin Ross had received an email from a resident also highlighting the issue and calling for more 20mph reminder signs to be put in place. It was also suggested that heavy goods vehicles and lorries were among those breaking the speed limit.

Mr Craighead said that local drivers were as much to blame for ignoring the reduced speed limit as anyone else.

PC Ross, who chairs the monthly meetings, added: “We have to bear in mind that large vehicles are noisier and appear faster than a smaller car. I would suggest heavy vehicles are not speeding any more than cars.”

An East Lothian Council spokesman said: “While at the very early stages of this trial, we are grateful for the feedback received and we will be installing additional 20mph signs as part of the trial.”