New gateways have been installed on two busy Marlow roads in a bid to slow down speeding drivers.

Village gateways – signs that welcome drivers into a particular town, village or city where a speed limit changes – have been put in on one side of the road on the B482 Lane End Road and the A4155 Henley Road, where the current Marlow signs are.

Speaking at a meeting of MTC’s full council this week, mayor Chris Funnell said the initiative has been “very well received”, and officers are now recommending installing one metre wide gates on the other side of the two roads, with a quote of £1,214 for the works.

But when asked if members would approve a spend of up to £1,300 from council reserves to complete the work, Cllr Roy Cadman objected, branding the scheme a “complete waste of time”, adding the money should be spent on other things for the town.

He said: “I don’t think it does anything for the town or its visitors.”

All members, other than Cllr Cadman, approved the £1,300 spend.

Marlow town councillors said at the last meeting of the full council on March 13 that the gateways provide a “smart, clear” entrance to the town and are statistically proven to help reduce traffic speeds.

They cited a Department of Transport paper from 2006 which reportedly claimed five different towns and villages that had these gateways installed saw a traffic speed reduction of up to 30 per cent.