THE speed limit on a busy Dunbar road, which is home to a school, could be reduced under new proposals.

Every street in the Hallhill development, to the south of the East Coast rail line, is 20 miles per hour with the exception of Kellie Road, where Dunbar Primary School’s P4-P7 Lochend Campus is located.

Now, the town’s community council is calling for East Lothian Council to look into the possibility of Kellie Road’s 30mph speed limit being reduced to match the rest of the area.

The issue was raised at a community council meeting by former Dunbar Grammar School headteacher Will Collin.

He said: “One concern is Kellie Road being a 30mph limit when others are 20mph. Kellie Road at school opening and closing times is the busiest for young people.

“It seems daft and one parent said it must be very confusing for someone that is new to go down one street which is 20mph and turn on to another and it is 30mph. The sense to me is that it should all be the same.”

The community councillor also highlighted that the reduction in speed limit would not make a massive difference in journey times.

He said: “I drove down Kellie Road at 20mph and back up at 30mph to check the distance.

“It is just over half a mile from Asda to the turn-off for the primary school.

“Driving at 30mph would save you 30 seconds compared to driving at 20.

“I said to the parent council meeting that if you are needing that extra time then get up 30 seconds earlier in the morning. It is crazy.”

Dunbar and East Linton ward councillor Norman Hampshire gave his backing to the idea that all roads in the area should be 20mph.

However, he stressed that the design of the road needed to encourage people to drive at the lower speed.

Fellow ward councillor Michael Veitch warned community councillors that a suggestion to reduce the speed limit might not meet with the backing of the local authority. He urged the community council to get in touch with East Lothian Council in a bid to discuss the matter further.

However, the idea of a 20mph limit was not universally welcomed by community councillors.

Pippa Swan and Graham Adams abstained from voting on whether to pass the issue to the local authority and Mr Adams asked: “Unless you are going to enforce it, why bother?”

The issue has also recently been raised by Dunbar Primary School’s parent council.

Sarah Horsburgh, the group’s chairwoman, told the Courier that she was in favour of it.

She said: “I just think it is so busy in the morning and quite a lot of children make their own way to school.

“It makes a lot of sense to be 20mph – all the other roads are 20mph anyway.”

The suggestion comes just a few weeks after the campaign to make the vast majority of streets north of the railway line a 20mph limit took a step forward.

An 18-month trial is being planned for the area, with a view to it potentially becoming permanent.