CALLS for a new 50mph speed limit along the A556 will be stepped up in 2018.

Several speed limits are present currently along the stretch of road from Hartford to the Davenham Roundabout.

During Northwich Town Council’s meeting on Monday, the council agreed to build a case to put to the Cheshire Highways department to reduce the speed limit to 50mph.

Leftwich councillor Derek Bowden said: “If you drive from the Chester direction towards the Davenham roundabout you come along at 70mph then you go to a 60mph limit, then you go into an advisory 50mph, then go back to 60mph and then you go back to 70mph.

"And all that happens in a few hundred yards. It’s thoroughly confusing.

“There’s no logic to it and in my view it’s absolutely unsafe because even at 60mph you’re going down a hill to the blue bridge then you’re coming up a hill into a blind bend where usually there is huge traffic.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

Cllr Bowden said Northwich Town Council would have to contribute 50 per cent of the cost.

He said: “This is a national highway, so I’m not sure that it is fair to expect the town council in Northwich to pay for it.”

Fellow Leftwich councillor Brian Jamieson suggested working with the parish councils in the surrounding areas to get their support.

Cllr Jamieson said: “I think it’s really important that we’ve got the support of all the parish councils.

"I think we should do that to give it a wider responsibility”

He said more speed cameras may need to be installed along the road to enforce a 50mph limit.

Cllr Jamieson said: “There’s always been a high amount of fatalities on that section and something wants doing before there’s going to be more.”

Cllr Bowden said the council would likely need the backing of David Keane, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire.

He said: “I think we would have his co-operation because I suspect that they would prefer a sensible speed limit because certainly they don’t want a major accident.”