TRAFFIC AND SAFETY IN CHIEVELEY PARISH

Many residents have complained to the Parish Council about speeding through Curridge and Chieveley. In March 2023, members of the Parish Council met with residents from Curridge and Chieveley. A Parish Councillor from Hermitage with experience of introducing a Community Speed Watch (CSW) programme also attended.  A CSW programme is based on educating  speeding drivers and can achieve good results – but it does not provide a quick fix. It is a proactive solution to improve safety and quality of life.

A minimum of three participants were needed to initiate the CSW registration process. It was agreed that a resident, rather than a councillor, would lead on the project to give the local community ownership of CSW. 

All members of the CSW programme were added to the West Berkshire Council (WBC) SID portal to allow speed indicator devices (SIDs) to be borrowed.

Parish Council funding was provided for CSW sign to be displayed at entrances to Chieveley, Curridge and Oare. Signs to advertise CSW activities are an essential aspect of the programme and contribute towards educating drivers.

CSW Activities

  • April 2023: Members of the SAG completed online training in using speed detection devices and running a community speed watch programme.
  • May 2023: The Police agreed sites where speed checks could be carried out and WBC Traffic and Road Safety approved locations for CSW signs. A request for volunteers was published on the mychieveley website and locally. The Parish Clerk encouraged the involvement of any resident reporting speeding in a Parish area.
  • June 2023: Positions of eight signs in Chieveley, six in Curridge and two in Oare were finalised.
  • September 2023: The cost of signage (£1,793.08 plus VAT) was approved. Once the signs were in place, CSW activities could start. CSW volunteers were encouraged to borrow the SID from WBC and to upload data obtained from the CSW activities to allow it to be shared with Thames Valley Police (TVP), which would act on vehicles identified as speeding. 

How the CSW programme works

1.       Data is collected using various traffic management equipment –

-          Speed Indicator Device (SID) – an education tool to effect change to driver behaviour on roads at or lower that 40mph

-          Black Cats radar devices, installed and monitored by WBC.

2.       Data from SIDs and Black Cats is uploaded onto a secure database - date, time, car details (registration no, make and colour) and the speed recorded.

3.       Letters are sent to offending drivers three weeks after the speeding event

-          TVP sent out 48,000 letters last year: 250 per day at weekends, 780 per day on weekdays

-          Once adopted, a new system that sits alongside the Criminal Justice System database will allow letters to be sent out within 3 days of the speeding event and received withing 7 days (so repeat data collection can be more speedily).

4.       Three further weeks are allowed to ensure letters have been received

5.       Further data collections at the same site are undertaken at six weekly intervals

Results suggest that 94% of those receiving a letter do not re-offend.

Speed limits:

·       ACPO guidance followed – 10% above the local speed limit + 2 (baseline)

·       Those caught travelling at 50% above speed limit receive a letter

·       Those travelling at 100% above speed limit receive a call from TVP within 72 hours

·       If caught on another speeding offence within 6 months, the CSW information will be taken into account

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
If you are wiling to get involved with CSW activities in the Parish to help educate speeding drivers and improve safety on our roads, please contact the Parish Clerk:

By email: chieveley.pc@outlook.com

By phone: 07867 310121