Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

To consider the above petition bearing 113 signatures which is being supported by Councillor G Duggins, a Longford Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the petition organiser.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Transportation and Highways concerning a petition, bearing 113 signatures, requesting average speed cameras or other restrictions to reduce speed on Lentons Lane. The petition was supported by Councillor G Duggins, a Longford Ward Councillor, who, together with the Petition Organiser, attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners.

The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to this meeting and requested that the petition was dealt with by determination letter. However, before the determination letter was issued, the petition sponsor requested that the issue be considered at a Cabinet Member for City Services meeting.

The report indicated that to ensure available funding was utilised carefully, locations were prioritised according to the number of personal injury collisions recorded by the Police. Locations where there had been six or more recorded personal injury collisions in the previous three years were considered for inclusion in the safety scheme programme.  Where the number of collisions was high and there was a history of speed-related collisions, locations were considered for average speed enforcement. A review of the collision data for Lentons Lane showed that there had been one recorded personal injury collision on the road in the last three years. Therefore, the junction did not meet the safety scheme or average speed enforcement criteria. The request made in the petition for further information on the Community Speed Watch initiative had been forwarded to the Police, who administered the scheme.

In addition to the review of personal injury collision data, a speed survey was also conducted on Lentons Lane in July 2021. This showed a mean weekday speed (the speed used to determine local speed limits) of 26.5mph eastbound and 29.3mph westbound and an 85%ile speed of 34.9mph eastbound and 35mph westbound.

A site inspection also identified that some of the speed limit and chevron signs on Lentons Lane were faded or damaged. Arrangements had been made for the affected signs to be replaced.

The agreed determination letter was to advise that a review of the personal injury collision history for Lentons Lane showed that there had been one personal injury collision recorded by the Police on Lentons Lane in the last three years. Therefore, it did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the safety scheme programme. However, faded and damaged signage on Lentons Lane would be replaced and the petitioners’ request for information regarding the Community Speed Watch initiative would be forwarded to the Police.

The cost of road safety measures was funded from the Highways Maintenance and Investment Capital Programme budget through the Local Transport Plan.

Councillor Duggins expressed support for a Community Speed Watch to be undertaken, requesting that any exercise took place when residents thought the speeding problems were the greatest. He requested that the faded and damaged signs be replaced as soon as possible.

The petition organiser informed the Cabinet Member that the signs were not located in the most appropriate place on the road, since much of the speeding occurred near to the cemetery where the road changed to a country lane. He requested additional signage in this problem area. He raised concerns about the danger of speeding vehicles to pedestrians since many residents walked along the lane. He also referred to incidents when pets were run over.

The Cabinet Member requested that further speed checks be undertaken on the road in the vicinity of the cemetery and the pub.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Notes the petitioners’ concerns.

2)  Endorses the actions which had been agreed to be issued by determination letter to the petition organisers (as detailed in paragraph 1.5 of the report).

3)  Requests that further speed checks be undertaken on Lentons Lane in the vicinity of the cemetery and the pub and that officers give further consideration to the signage along the road.