Local Authority Overview & Scrutiny

Within local authorities there is an Overview & Scrutiny functions which provides checks and balances on the various executive functions of the council. Leicestershire County Council describe the role as:

The Overview and Scrutiny role is designed to support the work of the Council by providing for members:-

• to review and scrutinise decisions taken by the Executive;
• to consider aspects of the performance of the Council;
• to assist in research, policy review and development;
• to provide a means of involving the community in the Council’s work;
• to involve itself with external organisations operating in the County to ensure that the interests of local people are enhanced by collaborative working.

Note the points about policy review and community involvement. There is a clear case that the council has failed to adapt its policy on speed limits following the government guidance issued at the beginning of 2013 in Dft Circular 2013/01 . See previous blog here http://sgstreets.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/dft-setting-speed-limits-positive-news.html

There is evidence that other local authorities have formally revised their speed limit policies (or are in the process of doing so) and have consulted tyhe public on these policies. Here is an example in Hertfordshire .

We are raising the issue of speed limit policy with the Leicestershire County Council with the Environment and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee which covers this function. We are joining forces with Woodhouse Eaves who also want to implement 20mph limits. Their local County Councillor has agreed to raise the issue on our behalf.

Stoke Golding Parish Council say No to 20mph limits

In the same month that saw high profile commitments to 20 mph in the City of London and our second city Birmingham, Stoke Golding Parish Council unanimously reject 20 mph limits.

In a newsletter to residents they stated:
"The Parish Council discussed again the issue of a 20MPH speed limit and confirms that in their unanimous opinion that whilst safe streets are a priority and desirable, it would be misleading/pointless to give their opinion on a 20MPH zone when the present austerity cuts at County render it undeliverable, coupled with a lack of enforcement by police”. This comes after protracted discussions with the Parish Council following a significant random survey of the village in late 2012. With 76% of respondents identifying speed as an issue and 67% supporting a village wide 20mph speed limit (only 22% opposed), we not unreasonably expected the Parish Council to support the majority view.

We had always anticipated problems with a Local Authority that is short of cash and which has failed to revise its speed limit strategy following new government guidance on speed limits issued earlier this year. We have looked at the historic accident data for Stoke Golding and the forecast savings from speed reductions should pay the modest amount for a 20 mph sign only scheme within a year. We also recognise that enforcement is a challenge which is why we are pleased that the Association of Chief Police Officers earlier this month updated its guidance on enforcement of speed limits. This sees the enforcement of 20 mph limits taken much more seriously with tougher penalties for those who wilfully offend.

The change to 20 mph limits where people live is a movement, and it will take time to normalise this behaviour. It is not anti motorist - it actually has minimal impact on journey times. It is about a more equitable sharing of the public space where people live, socialise and travel. Towns and cities are getting the message in a big way with local authorities covering more than 11 million residents having now committed to 20 mph limits. Over the last several months there have been significant announcements of widespread implementation in Birmingham, London (City and many boroughs), Oxford, Liverpool, Manchester, Leicester and Brighton, to name but a few. These will join pioneering cities such as Portsmouth, Bristol and Hull who are now reaping the benefits in terms of lower accidents rates and increased walking and cycling. One day people will look back and say "surely we didn't used to let cars travel at 30 mph were people live" in the same way that we now say "surely we didn't used to let people smoke in public places".

So nationally the picture is very upbeat and we are quite convinced that the implementation of 20 mph limits is no longer "IF" but "WHEN". 

We have talked to several other villages around the country and a 3 to 5 year campaign is not uncommon, but success has been achieved. We are therefore planning to join forces with other like minded groups in Leicestershire to try and influence county policy and consider how best to continue locally.

 

ACPO Reviews guidance on speed limit enforcement

The Association of Chief Police Officerts (ACPO) has revised its speed enforcement policy guidelines to reflect a tougher approach to enforcing 20 mph limits. 

The new guidance recommends that at speeds between 24-31mph a driver should be offered the option of attending a speed awareness course or a fixed penalty notice fine. At speeds of 35mph plus a summons will be issued.

Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, ACPO national policing lead on roads policing, said: “Speeding remains an issue of high concern, particularly in residential areas or near facilities for young or vulnerable people."

This is welcome news. In the past the ACPO have been criticised for their failure to enforce 20 mph speed limits. I am still concerned about the frequent statements of "self enforcing". Yes in an ideal world roads would be designed so that vehicles can only travel at a safe speed, but unfortunately  many of our roads are just not like that. At the end of the day the motorist has to accept that a limit is a limit and must be obeyed.

I hope this is part of a movement to take speed limits seriously in the UK. Currently limits are not observed by a significant number of motorists and that is because they are not enforced. I recently had a visitor from Australia staying with us and whilst out they observed "don't a lot of people speed in England". I have driven in Australia and almost everyone obeys the speed limit. Why?, because it is enforced and because it is regarded as socially unacceptable.

72% of Britain support 20 mph limits

The 2012 British Social Attitudes Survey results have just been published. The results show 72% in favour of 20 mph limits with just 11% against. Women favour 20 mph speed limits more at 76% then men at 68%. The full report can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209890/bsa-2012.pdf.
Page 21 also shows peoples attitudes to speed bumps and closing residential streets.

Now you see it, now you don't

now you see it

now you don't

Station Road in Stoke Golding is within the Conservation Area established in 2004. The view down Station Road past the old factory is noted as a "view to be protected". Unfortunately this view is has been spoilt by a rather ugly chicane. I don't think its the chicane that the problem rather its the signage which is rather over the top and shouts "highway" rather than "street". I would like to see a design which is more in keeping with the character of the conservation area. Maybe a nice planter perhaps with some reflectors. I have airbrushed out the signage on the second photo - doesn't it look better?

A review of the conservation area is ongoing. I have discussed the chicane with the council conservation area Barry Whirrity who has taken some photos and says he will talk with Highways.

Barwell SUE update

The Barwell SUE has been granted outline planning permission which included access and highway arrangements. Part of the submission was a late analysis by Highways which predicted data flows through the village using their LLITM model.

Unfortunately their report did not contain readable traffic flow volumes so I subsequently asked for this information which they supplied in tabular form. I superimposed this data onto a local map (see below) together with the actual flows (in green) that we recorded when we audited traffic in the village in February 2013. There are two sets of predicted data flows from the LLITM model
"with mitigation" this means the (yet unspecified) changes to the main road network. i.e. the Rouges Lane, A47 and A5 junctions
"unmitigated" this means without changes to the main highway network

Highways conclusion is that there will be very little additional traffic along the rural network, hence they see no need to consider local rural mitigation. We have to first convince them that the model is wrong and / or convince them that there are not viable solutions to the Rogues Lane and A47 junctions.

There has subsequently been a meeting of the joint parish councils to discuss the issue of Barwell SUE traffic. At this meeting Ivan Ould (County Councillor) was tasked to talk to Highways. Ivan is currently trying to set up this meeting.

Stoke Golding Traffic Audit - Feb 2013

A very long time in posting, but way back in February the residents of Stoke Golding carried out an audit of traffic during the morning rush hour. The object of the exercise was to form a baseline of traffic flow volumes in and out of the village. It was felt this baseline would be useful in identifying changes in traffic patterns over time with the planned Barwell Sustainable extension very much in mind. The full report is here 

The diagram below is a useful summary showing the peak hourly traffic flows

As expected most of the traffic is entering along Hinckley Road with a peak flow of 220 vehicles per hour. 

In total there were 714 movements out and 466 movements in across the 2 hour monitoring period. This suggests there are just 248 local vehicles leaving the village which seems much lower than expected for 750 houses.