A campaign for a 20mph speed limit in Leek town centre will be considered by county councillors this week.

More than 6,600 people have signed a petition calling for the speed limit in Leek town centre. This is well above the 5,000 signatures needed to trigger a debate by Staffordshire County Council members.

The debate will take place at Thursday's full county council meeting. Afterwards members will be asked to agree on action to take in response to the petition.

Leek resident Roger Warrilow organised the petition. He said: "I will bring to the attention of Staffordshire County Council that since the removal of the safe and efficient roundabout 10 years ago, situated at the entrance to Derby Street, there have been accidents, more pollution and traffic hold-ups. Sainsbury's money was invested in the removal of Leek's iconic floral roundabout and there was a 106 agreement implemented to reorganise traffic at the top of St Edward Street on and off the Macclesfield road.

"This agreement was broken and put on hold by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Staffordshire County Highways and a camera erected for extra information. A decade later still nothing done and pedestrian crossings in the wrong places and no crossing in St Edward Street from High Street.

"Surely, the least the county council highways can do for the safety of Leek's pedestrians is to slow traffic to 20mph to safeguard and secure a safer environment for all ages. The Leek petition hopes to spearhead the campaign 20's plenty for us on residential streets and in town and village centres."

Councillor Charlotte Atkins, who represents Leek South, presented the petition to the county council and said there was an urgent need for better pedestrian safety measures in the town.

She added: "Safe pedestrian crossings and lower speed limits have long been promised but not delivered. There are detailed existing plans to improve St Edward Street with a 20mph speed limit and the introduction of both controlled and uncontrolled pedestrian crossings."

The debate will coincide with national Walk to School Week.

Campaign group 20's Plenty for Staffordshire said: "Many children would like to walk or cycle to school if roads were safer.

"Roads can be made safer if speed limits are reduced from 30 mph to 20 mph and surveys show that 70% of residents would like 20 mph limits in their streets. These limits can greatly reduce road casualties and also reduce traffic pollution and noise and create a safer environment for walking and cycling..

"But there are very few 20 mph areas in Stoke and Staffordshire and these are fairly small 20 mph zones that have road humps that are expensive to install and often unpopular with residents. Designating large 20 mph areas with just signs and no humps is a much more cost-effective way of reducing road casualties.

"20's plenty for Staffordshire believe that Stoke and Staffordshire should be following the example of many other councils across the UK who have adopted a '20's plenty' approach and are creating safer, healthier and more attractive environments for their residents."