Local news story on Surrey Heath speed limits
Discussion
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2095777_red_road...
The local council are voting (it seems) on a gut instinct that speed is bad.
The local council are voting (it seems) on a gut instinct that speed is bad.
ktards. I often wonder about the management ability of anyone in public services.I think I must have the wrong article, this is the one I meant. The police and highways say there is no point in a speed reduction but are ignored.
Surrey said:
ATTEMPTS to slash the speed limit on a notorious road in Surrey Heath have been resurrected.
Councillors in the borough have said they want the 60mph Red Road brought down to a staggered 40mph and 50mph route.
The move comes despite opposition from highways’ bosses and police who argue the cut will do little to stop accidents and will be difficult to enforce.
Last Thursday, councillors overturned those concerns and voted to cut the limit to 40mph from The Maultway to Lightwater Road and then 50mph up to the Gordon’s Boys roundabout.
The latest move comes two years after attempts to push the same scheme through were blocked by senior county councillors.
But after policy changes have been made giving local councillors more powers over their roads, the matter was brought before Surrey Heath’s local area committee again on Thursday (June 30).
At the meeting at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church in Frimley, Surrey county and Surrey Heath borough councillors both expressed support for the speed cut, saying something needed to be done about the road.
The Red Road, which snakes between Camberley and West End, has been the scene of many accidents over the last 10 years.
Last year a jogger, Chas Chasmore, was knocked over by a driver and killed, yet police said there was no speeding involved in his death.
His death sparked calls for a pedestrian crossing on the road, something that would only be feasible if the speed was cut.
At the meeting, St Paul’s borough councillor, Vivienne Chapman, said the only time she had feared for her life while driving was after nearly being hit by another driver on Red Road.
She said where the county had reduced the limit of other problem roads in the borough it had, over time, brought down driver’s speed.
Cllr Chapman added: “At the moment, when I go down Red Road I nearly always have someone up my back, trying to overtake or speeding.”
But her comments drew a reaction from Andrew Milne, the Surrey Heath highways manager, who argued cutting the speed limit would have little impact on reckless drivers.
“The element of drivers that do end up with their cars in the side of the road are the same drivers that will choose to ignore the speed limit,” he said.
“Whether we have a limit that is 50, 60 or 70mph we will always have a number of people who don’t respect the speed limit.”
Mr Milne added that if the local committee did vote for the 40-50mph scheme it would have to go back to Surrey’s cabinet before another Surrey Heath vote could finalise it.
The plan to cut the limit was first mooted in 2009 when the council advertised its intention to reduce the limit to 40mph on the whole road.
In October of that year, the six Surrey Heath county councillors who make up the borough’s local area committee, voted for the part 40mph and 50mph speed cut.
The vote was then called in by the county council’s ruling-cabinet, which said cutting the speed on the road ran counter to countywide highways policy.
However since then, the county has changed the policy that blocked the speed cut to give local committees more powers over their roads.
In a report to the local area committee on Thursday, highways officer said they supported reducing the limit to 50mph.
It added: “This recommendation is supported by Surrey Police, who have no objection to a 50mph speed limit being introduced.
“It is noted that Surrey Police do not support the introduction of a 40mph speed limit.”
Councillors in the borough have said they want the 60mph Red Road brought down to a staggered 40mph and 50mph route.
The move comes despite opposition from highways’ bosses and police who argue the cut will do little to stop accidents and will be difficult to enforce.
Last Thursday, councillors overturned those concerns and voted to cut the limit to 40mph from The Maultway to Lightwater Road and then 50mph up to the Gordon’s Boys roundabout.
The latest move comes two years after attempts to push the same scheme through were blocked by senior county councillors.
But after policy changes have been made giving local councillors more powers over their roads, the matter was brought before Surrey Heath’s local area committee again on Thursday (June 30).
At the meeting at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church in Frimley, Surrey county and Surrey Heath borough councillors both expressed support for the speed cut, saying something needed to be done about the road.
The Red Road, which snakes between Camberley and West End, has been the scene of many accidents over the last 10 years.
Last year a jogger, Chas Chasmore, was knocked over by a driver and killed, yet police said there was no speeding involved in his death.
His death sparked calls for a pedestrian crossing on the road, something that would only be feasible if the speed was cut.
At the meeting, St Paul’s borough councillor, Vivienne Chapman, said the only time she had feared for her life while driving was after nearly being hit by another driver on Red Road.
She said where the county had reduced the limit of other problem roads in the borough it had, over time, brought down driver’s speed.
Cllr Chapman added: “At the moment, when I go down Red Road I nearly always have someone up my back, trying to overtake or speeding.”
But her comments drew a reaction from Andrew Milne, the Surrey Heath highways manager, who argued cutting the speed limit would have little impact on reckless drivers.
“The element of drivers that do end up with their cars in the side of the road are the same drivers that will choose to ignore the speed limit,” he said.
“Whether we have a limit that is 50, 60 or 70mph we will always have a number of people who don’t respect the speed limit.”
Mr Milne added that if the local committee did vote for the 40-50mph scheme it would have to go back to Surrey’s cabinet before another Surrey Heath vote could finalise it.
The plan to cut the limit was first mooted in 2009 when the council advertised its intention to reduce the limit to 40mph on the whole road.
In October of that year, the six Surrey Heath county councillors who make up the borough’s local area committee, voted for the part 40mph and 50mph speed cut.
The vote was then called in by the county council’s ruling-cabinet, which said cutting the speed on the road ran counter to countywide highways policy.
However since then, the county has changed the policy that blocked the speed cut to give local committees more powers over their roads.
In a report to the local area committee on Thursday, highways officer said they supported reducing the limit to 50mph.
It added: “This recommendation is supported by Surrey Police, who have no objection to a 50mph speed limit being introduced.
“It is noted that Surrey Police do not support the introduction of a 40mph speed limit.”
Edited by tercelgold on Friday 8th July 11:00
Minemapper said:
Councils have the power to over-rule the highways dept and police with regards to speed limits?
I must have woken up in an alternate universe this morning, because that's just bananas. Our council can barely manage to coordinate the rubbish collections.
That's what I thought, when the councillor started talking about I must have woken up in an alternate universe this morning, because that's just bananas. Our council can barely manage to coordinate the rubbish collections.
Cllr Chapman added: “At the moment, when I go down Red Road I nearly always have someone up my back, trying to overtake or speeding.”
But her comments drew a reaction from Andrew Milne, the Surrey Heath highways manager, who argued cutting the speed limit would have little impact on reckless drivers.
And then dropping the speed limit to 40, it's going to be happening everywhere previous NSL will be 40 with pedestrian crossings and double white lines.
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