Lowering speed limits - help?

[percy]

The Parish Council in my village are proposing lowering 2 speed limits. One from NSL to 30mph, and also 30mph to 20mph in the centre of the village. The NSL reduction is as a result of ONE accident (no fatalities) where the driver was doing 90mph in an unroadworthy car. I am arguing that the speed limit is not a factor in this accident - careless driving is the case.
As well as the 20mph limit in the village centre (can't really drive much faster anyway due to the road layout) they are proposing a raised section of road - not a speed ramp. As I drive a Caterham, I am concerned about damage to the sump and exhaust and have voiced my concerns.
The Parish council are keeping very quiet and I am worried that these changes will just be introduced very suddenly.

Who else should I write to in order to make my objections known?

I am sending copies of my letters to Northants County Council.
Any advice welcomed.
If any PHers live in Earls Barton, this affects YOU.

[tvrgit]

I don't know what the law is in England and Wales.

Only the local roads authority have powers to introduce speed limits. I don't think a Parish Council is a roads authority in terms of the Act. Could be wrong though.

I think it would have to be the County Council or a Borough Council to do that. Of course, the Parish Council can ask.

[bad company]

Are you a member of the ABD? In my opinion we all should be. Take a look at www.abd.org.uk . They will help but you might have to join first at the cost of about £20.

Good Luck

[Dwight VanDriver]

tvrgit is spot on. PC ask LA to implement speed limits but before doing so has to publish intention generally in local paper at which stage objections can be made.

So first point of attack is to Local Authority Highways.(Copy to MP?)

DVD

[Flat in Fifth]

Other thing I would add to DVD etc's comments (if I should be so bold!) is to keep a weather eye open on lamp posts along the road in question.

The reason is that they may not post the local notices in the local paper you read or maybe do so during your annual holiday and hence notices missed. However they will appear at the site in question and will(should) give you the name of the person responsible.

Just another word to the wise, another trick which happens in "sunny!" Worcestershire from time to time. The Highways mob are run by an "Agency/Partner" privatised sort of operation.

Being utter and total numpties they sometimes....er.... get the planning application / approval / sign erection schedule.....er..... completely the wrong way round, if you get my drift.

New signs are up and then..... well it's just like a retrospective planning application innit guv!

Except "they" want it to get through the approval process. Try and object to that situation and invariably you get the bums rush unfortunately.

FiF

>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Wednesday 18th August 17:36

[percy]

Thanks for the replies so far. Should have said that the PC are asking the County Council to lower the limits. MP could be a good idea - I've already had correspondence with him in the past about speed cameras in the county. I'll be labelled as a 'troublemaker' if I'm not careful .

[tvrgit]

with regard to FiF - as you probably know, they have to follow the consultation / advertising procedure set out in the appropriate Statutory Instrument (I can never remember the number!).

If they don't, and get the signing schedule wrong, or in the wrong place or at the wrong time, they leave themselves wide open to a court challenge (there is a 6 week period after they make the Order) that the procedure was not followed.

Hard to prove though!

[turbobloke]

bad company said:

Are you a member of the ABD? In my opinion we all should be. Take a look at www.abd.org.uk . They will help but you might have to join first at the cost of about £20. Good Luck

A good place to look. The ABD website gives information to non-members:
"Speed Limits — How they are set and your Right to Object"
[url]www.abd.org.uk/speedobj.htm[/url]

[hertsbiker]

unfortunately in Herts we are suffering decreasing limits daily. It's a real shock to drive down once hoonable roads to find 30 & 40 limits up. Once when it was NSL we could do 80 odd without too much fear, now it's a 40... 50 seems too much. Very sad, and a sign of the times. However, don't give up hope. If a limit is not implmented legally, it is not enforcable. That, and various "counter measures" that apply. Deltaf? you hear me?!

[Dwight VanDriver]

Perce

Accepting the wrist slap from FiF then I had better refer you to the following

http://tinyurl.com/ktbw

and it is what tvrgit mentions.

DVD

[tvrgit]

That's the one!