Contact: Peter Bayless, tel 874610 email: [email protected]

Graham Carter, tel 874581 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions were made:

(i) That proposed 30 mph speed limits for villages in the `Village 30' programme that the Police are supporting continue to be progressed through the Traffic Regulation Order process as soon as practicable.

(ii) That authority be given to place Notices of Intention to make Traffic Regulation Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the effect of which would be to introduce 30 mph speed limits in those villages in the `Village 30' programme which are not supported by the Police but to which they are not raising specific objections.

(iii) That the Director of Environment be instructed to work on traffic management concerns in three areas, namely Newtown, Mattingley and Pamber End with a view to their later inclusion in the Village 30 programme, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment and local members.

(iv) That objections which arise through the Traffic Regulation Orders process be determined by the Executive Member for Environment in the normal way when the individual schemes are brought forward for authority to implement them.


(v) That the Director of Environment seek the views of the Department for Transport on the speed management regulations for villages in France and elsewhere to ask if they would consider introducing such a system in the UK and advising that Hampshire County Council would support such arrangements.

2. Reason

2.1 A total of 39 villages, selected according to locally determined priorities through the Hampshire Action Teams, are included in the 2007/08 Safe and Secure Communities Programme. This followed the Cabinet decision on 18 December 2006 that village speed limits be positively reviewed in accordance with the revised Department for Transport guidance that 30 mph should be the norm in villages. In accordance with the requirements of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, consultations on these proposals have been undertaken formally with the Police with a view to obtaining their agreement to seeking public views through the posting of Public Notices.

2.2 The Police have responded as follows:

(i) that schemes where mean speeds are at or below the proposed new limit have their support;

(ii) that schemes where mean speeds are above the proposed new limit but not above 45 mph are not supported; and

(iii) that schemes where the mean speeds are in excess of 45 mph in a proposed 30 mph speed limit and 55 mph in a proposed 40 mph buffer limit are objected to.

2.3 Work is progressing on the programme and there are currently eight schemes which satisfy the Police requirement outlined in paragraph 2.2 (i) and are therefore able to go ahead with local Member support. The only constraint on timescales is that, where it is sensible to advertise a number of speed limits in fairly close proximity, such as Bramshaw, Brook and Furzley, individual schemes may be delayed to suit the overall timetable.

2.4 The majority of schemes in the programme are in the category outlined in paragraph 2.2 (ii) where the Police are maintaining that existing vehicle speeds are too high for a 30 mph speed limit to be effective and self-enforcing, even if supported by additional signing and carriageway markings, and for this reason they do not support the placing of formal advertisements seeking public views. If the schemes are to go forward, therefore, a formal decision is required to place the statutory notices without Police support and to consider all outstanding comments or objections when the individual schemes are brought forward for authority to implement them.

2.5 Schemes in the final category outlined in paragraph 2.2 (iii) are those which, on detailed assessment, do not meet the selection criteria for the `Village 30' programme in terms of frontage development. Alternatively they are locations where existing speeds are considerably in excess of 30 mph due to an unrestrained road layout. These schemes clearly require re-evaluation and consideration for traffic calming features, which are outside the scope of this programme, and therefore should be referred back to the relevant Hampshire Action Team.

2.6 Furthermore, it is the intention of the Cabinet, once the Village 30 programme is complete and subject to Government guidance at the time, to consider applications for formal 20 mph limits outside schools.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 To proceed to formal advertising only with those proposals which have the support of both local Members and the Police. This would result in over three-quarters of the programme being withdrawn and would be contrary to the previous decision by the Cabinet to allow every village in Hampshire to have a 30 mph speed limit if that is the local wish.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or Other Executive Member Consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - None.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - None.

Approved by: ..................................... Date: ...................................

Councillor T K Thornber CBE - Chairman

1534Decn/PDB/GSC