Credit to Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle MP, who used her recent party conference speech here in Brighton to call for 20mph to be the default speed limit in UK residential areas.

How disappointing to then read Labour councillor Gill Mitchell’s letter a few days later (The Argus, September 28) arguing against 20mph speed limits in residential areas.

While speed humps would further reduce traffic speeds and may be appropriate in some cases, is Coun Mitchell seriously arguing that they should be installed on every residential street in the city?

These measures are not only expensive but often unpopular with all road-users.

Coun Mitchell’s views seem out of step with the many forward-thinking Labour councils across the country which are reducing traffic speeds with and without re-engineering roads.

This includes Birmingham Labour’s plans for 20mph on 90% of its roads along with Camden and Islington Labour, both of which are introducing 20mph speed limits on every single one of their roads.

As the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed and seriously injured on our country’s roads increases (more than 9,300 in 2012) the case for reducing traffic speeds in residential areas has never been stronger.

Thankfully that is exactly what is being done in great towns and cities across the country from Edinburgh to Cardiff and the City of London to Worthing – regardless of political colour.

Councillor Ian Davey, Green, Brighton and Hove City Council