Croydon is on its way to becoming a 20mph borough after the results of the first referendum were announced - despite criticism that hardly anyone took part.

Streets in parts of South Norwood, Selhurst, Bensham Manor, Thornton Heath and Upper Norwood will get the reduced speed limit it was announced at a Croydon Council cabinet meeting on Monday night.

The plans do not include Transport for London red routes like London Road or busy through roads such as Beulah Hill or Whitehorse Lane.

Croydon Council is now working on the formal process of implementing the zone.

The consultation started in May and when it was announced Croydon Council said the "scheme will proceed where there is majority support from the community".

At the cabinet meeting it was revealed only 2,320 people had voted in the first referendum, out of the approximately 90,000 people who live in the area.

Of these voters, the percentage in favour was 52.5 per cent.

Council leader Councillor Tony Newman said: "It’s a very clear mandate indeed.

"Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation.

"I hope we are going to crack on with the 20mph zone at a pace, if that’s not a contradiction in terms."

The news was not greeted as enthusiastically by the opposition leader Councillor Tim Pollard who questioned how it could be brought in when only 1,218 people in the area had voted for it.

In a statement he said: "We have consistently said that the areas chosen for the application of 20mph zones are too large and have called upon the council to implement this only on roads where a majority in that road want it.

"As it stands people in one part of the north of Croydon who want 20mph in their area can inadvertently impose it on other areas which don't.

"The danger of that now happening is particularly acute now we have found that only 1,200 out of a population of 90,000 who live in the first zone have spoken in favour.

"That's only about 1.5 per cent of the residents in that area actually positively wanting this."

What do you think of the 20mph zones? Have your say by emailing a letter to letters@croydonguardian.co.uk