Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, County Hall, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ. View directions
Contact: Lindsey Watson 01305 252209 / Email: lindsey.watson@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Media
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Minutes To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on: Minutes: The minutes of the meetings held on 22 April 2021, 1 June 2021, 17 September 2021, 19 October 2021, 10 November 2021, 16 December 2021, 10 February 2022 and 7 March 2022 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. |
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Declarations of interest To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration. If required, further advice should be sought from the
Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Chairman's Update To receive any updates from the Chairman of the Place and Resources Overview Committee. Minutes: The Chairman set out the arrangements for the meeting and noted that members of the public attending for public participation time, were welcome to stay to listen to the debate on the agenda items. |
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Public Participation PDF 239 KB Representatives of town
or parish councils and members of the public who live, work
or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to
submit up to two questions or two statements for each meeting.
Alternatively, you could submit one question and one statement for each
meeting. All
submissions must be emailed in full to lindsey.watson@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
by 8.30am on 14
April 2022. When
submitting your question(s) and/or statement(s) please note that: ·
no more than three minutes will be
allowed for any one question or statement to be asked/read ·
a question may include a short pre-amble
to set the context and this will be included within the three
minute period ·
please note that sub divided questions
count towards your total of two ·
when submitting a question please
indicate who the question is for (e.g. the name of the committee or Portfolio
Holder) ·
Include your name, address and
contact details. Only your name will be published but we may need your
other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the
meeting. ·
questions and statements received in line
with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a
supplement to the agenda ·
all questions, statements and responses
will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. Dorset
Council Constitution Procedure Rule 9 Minutes: Questions and statements had been submitted from members of the public. A copy of the questions and statements read out at the meeting and the responses provided, are set out at Appendix 1. |
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Questions from Members PDF 93 KB To receive
questions submitted by councillors. Councillors
can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions
count towards this total. Questions and statements received will be published
as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will
be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. The
submissions must be emailed in full to lindsey.watson@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
by 8.30am
on 14
April 2022. Dorset
Council Constitution –
Procedure Rule 13 Minutes: Questions were received from B Ezzard. The questions asked and responses provided are set out at Appendix 2. |
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To consider a report of the Service Manager - Environmental Protection. Minutes: The committee received and considered a
report of the Service Manager – Environmental Protection, which set out the findings
from the draft Air Quality Action Plan consultation and the measures contained
within the proposed Air Quality Action Plan.
The committee was invited to make comments and advise on any further
work for officers to undertake before the action plan was submitted to the
Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for comment and approval. Once approval had been received from DEFRA,
the action plan would be submitted to Cabinet for adoption. The committee considered the issues arising
from the report and during discussion, points were raised in the following
areas: ·
The situation in Chideock was discussed and
options considered for improving the air quality in the area ·
The Portfolio Holder for Highways noted that
issues raised could be discussed with National Highways ·
The content of the action plan and arrangements
for monitoring progress were highlighted ·
Monitoring of Nitrogen Dioxide levels were undertaken and results submitted to DEFRA on an annual
basis, with feedback provided to the Council ·
The impact of the increased use of electric
vehicles was raised and reference made to national modelling of Nitrogen
Dioxide levels, which showed a reduction in levels over the next few
years. Further modelling could be
undertaken within the Council. Requests for further work were made as
follows: ·
Monitoring of progress with the action plan on an
annual basis could be a role for the Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee ·
Preliminary investigation on the potential for a
footbridge at Chideock ·
Further information to be included in the action
plan on the possibility of an off-road pedestrian/cycle link between Chideock
and Bridport ·
The Executive Director of Place and Portfolio
Holder for Highways, Travel and the Environment to
action a meeting with National Highways and provide feedback on the outcome of
the discussions. Decision That
the Place and Resources Overview Committee: 2.1 Have considered the findings from the Draft
Air Quality Action Plan consultation and the measures contained within the
proposed Air Quality Action Plan 2.2 Have advised on further work to be
undertaken by officers in respect of the proposed Air Quality Action Plan as
set out in the notes above 2.3 Support the proposed Air Quality Action Plan
for submission to the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for comment
and approval. |
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20mph Speed Limit Approach PDF 359 KB To consider a report of the Road Safety Manager. Additional documents:
Minutes: The committee considered a report of the Road Safety
Manager, which provided information on the review of the guidance for setting
the principles, criteria, and process
for 20mph schemes. The Place and
Resources Overview Committee was invited to review the guidance ahead of
consideration at Cabinet. Councillors
considered the issues arising from the report and during discussion the
following areas were covered: ·
Support
was expressed for the principles of a 20mph speed limit process and guidance but it was felt that further work was required on
the wording of the guidance and interpretation of the Department for Transport
(DfT) guidance ·
Reference
was made to the quality of the representations made by members of the public ·
The
proposed guidance needed to reflect environmental priorities, the council’s
transport plans and the safety and quality of life of residents using and
living by roads ·
Funding
issues for both the Council and town and parish councils were considered ·
The
language used in the proposed guidance was noted and a comment made that it
should be more in line with the DfT guidance. Given the comments
made at the meeting, the Chairman asked that a task and finish group be set up
to review the guidance and to propose new policy wording. She asked that the updated guidance be
brought back to the committee when ready. It was proposed by
C Jones seconded by S Jespersen Decision That a task and finish group be set up to review the guidance wording and propose new wording, with a report to be brought back to committee at an appropriate time. |
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Place and Resources Overview Committee Forward Plan PDF 269 KB To review the Place and Resources Overview Committee Forward Plan. To review the Cabinet Forward Plan. Additional documents: Minutes: Councillors noted the committee’s forward plan and items scheduled for the next meeting. It was noted that the item ‘20 mph Speed Limit Approach’ would be rescheduled onto the committee’s forward plan. The Executive Director of Place reported that a report with regard to the Redlands Sports Centre may be brought to the committee before being considered by Cabinet at a date to be confirmed. |
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Urgent items To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes. Minutes: There were no urgent items. |
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Exempt Business To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered. There is no exempt
business. Minutes: There was no exempt business. |
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Appendix 1 - Public Participation Agenda item 5 - Public Participation Questions relating to
agenda item 8 – 20mph Speed Limit Approach 1. Questions from Barry Roberts Appendix A to
this item states, under item 23, ‘Local residents may also express their
concerns or desire for a lower speed limit and these comments should be
considered.’
Response from
the Head of Highways Response
1: We understand
that speed limits, footpaths and traffic calming are often emotive subjects
within communities. Dorset Councils approach has been to encourage local
communities, to consider new traffic management measures, including
speed limits, for their areas at the local parish and town council level. All
requests must be passed through local parish and
town councils or the local elected Member for the
respective ward, but it is not possible to accept requests directly from
individual residents. Details of this process are contained within the
Council’s website. Response
2: Dorset Council
follows the DfT guidance that advises (DfT point 132) that 20mph speed limits should not be considered on
roads with a strategic function or where the movement of motor vehicles is the
primary function. Extract from DfT
guidance ·
Extract from DfT
guidance 132) of the guidance it states “It may also be appropriate to consider
20 mph limits or zones in built-up village streets which are primarily
residential in nature, or where pedestrian and cyclist movements are high. Such
limits should not, however, be considered on roads with a strategic function
or where the movement of motor vehicles is the primary function.” 2. Statement
and question from Nick Ward (Purbeck Transport Action Group) Statement: The Dorset Council guidance on 20 mph limits does not seem to have changed substantially from the previous version and still does not align with the DfT guidance. It still makes it very difficult to get approval for any change and does not address the demand for 20 mph limits in villages at all. Given the inconsistency and unhelpfulness of the document, it is suggested that it should be withdrawn and redrafted. Question: ‘Dorset Council speed limit setting overview states that it has been prepared to reflect the Department for Transport’s guidance. Why does it contain statements that do not appear anywhere in the DfT guidance document, such as: “20mph limits should not be implemented on roads with a strategic function or on a main road.’ ‘locations will not be considered for 20mph schemes where any of the following apply: A. they are on A or B class roads B. they have existing mean average speeds above 30 mph”?’ Response from the Head of Highways Response 3: Dorset Council follows the DfT guidance that advises (DfT
point 132) that 20mph speed limits should not be considered on roads with a strategic
function or where the movement of motor vehicles is the primary function. A and
B roads are important roads for Dorset and form part of the local strategic
network. The guidance (DfT point 85 & 95) also
advises that 20mph speed limits are most appropriate for areas where vehicle
speeds are already low and there should be no expectation on the police to provide additional
enforcement beyond their routine activity unless this has been explicitly
agreed. Where mean speeds are above 30mph this would likely require
significant additional police enforcement activity and/or likely require costly
traffic calming measures to be installed.
Extracts from DfT guidance
3.
Question from Brenda Mustoe (Chair of Winfrith and East Knighton Parish
Council) We welcome the clarification set out for
consideration for the setting of a 20mph in certain areas. Our question relates to cost to small parishes with
a precept that would preclude them from incurring the potential costs
associated with an application. What leeway could be given to such Parish Councils
as it would seem unfair if they were ‘competing’ with larger councils with a
bigger budget? Response
from the Head of Highways Response 4: Dorset Council will rank
and deliver schemes on a priority basis within the budget but would not be able
to subsidise local town and parish councils if there are other schemes that are
a higher priority identified within the assessment matrix. Town and
parish councils are able to set their precepts to meet local needs. 4. Questions
from Helen Sumbler Question 1 Quoting from the
20mph speed limit approach report from the Road Safety Manager: “As a general rule, unless in exceptional circumstances, locations will not
be considered for 20mph schemes where any of the following apply: A. they are on A
or B class roads; an
exceptional circumstance could be a town centre where there will be high levels
of pedestrian and cycle movement and the strategic movement of traffic is no
longer the priority.” The report then
goes on to state “The threshold criteria have been selected as they best
represent DfT’s guidance for setting 20mph schemes.” Please could I ask
whether this general rule is stated in the DfT’s
guidance? Question 2 Having reviewed the
Priority
Criteria Matrix, there appear to be flaws in the criteria used which would
affect the priority of an proposed 20mph speed limit area, some examples being:
How were the
criteria in the Priority Criteria Matrix selected, if they were not derived from DfT guidance in respect of priority setting? Response from
the Head of Highways Question 1 – Response
5 - please refer to my response to the question previously asked by Nick
Ward (Response 3) Question 2 - Response 6: The Priority Criteria Matrix was
selected after consultation with road safety professionals within the council
and with a councillor group following the last visit to overview committee on
17 December 2020. It is designed to be a tool to assist officers consider a
wide, but not an exhaustive range of factors and will form part of the overall
approach for scoring each application. The
Propensity to Cycle Tool has been used to give an impression of the possible
trips that might be made by vulnerable road users in future if a scheme was
implemented, where presently these road users are feeling unsafe. It includes
data on all modes, with the overall figure for active travel including both
cycling and walking. It is only available for commuting and school travel
because we only have data for these trip types available at a granular level
where comparisons can be made between areas. The aim is not precision, but to
have a metric to compare different areas and disaggregate between areas with
high levels of vulnerable users on streets, and those with far lower levels. Schools are
very significant trip generators that far exceed the usage of other sites, and
present unique challenges / opportunities, given that many trips are highly
local, often made at peak hours, cannot be varied, and are heavily influenced
by how safe the environment is in the immediate area. The Council
have detailed mapping to help score the criteria matrix for each location and
local parish and town councils will be encouraged to provide detailed
supporting evidence to help officers best understand the risks for a particular
area. We will work closely with the local councils during all stages of the
process. It is
possible for communities to report near miss or damage only collisions via the
Council online information portal and these incidents are documented and can be
researched as part of the ranking process. 5. Statement
and question from Peter Mole 1 In the last five years numerous 20mph speed limit schemes have been introduced across the UK, including many on A roads. A large majority of people support them. As a long-term Community Speed Watch participant, I have concluded that moderation of traffic speed is the most cost effective, and least inconvenient, method of containing unacceptable risks to cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians who must walk in the carriageway. In places the existing speed limit is clearly too high. On Dorset roads we need a policy which makes it easier to achieve safe and appropriate speed limits, not more difficult. I live alongside the busy A350 a road acknowledged as patently not fit for purpose. To reach the post box, church, neighbours, shop, pub and village hall I must walk on the narrow road with speeding traffic, including HGVs, at a point where bends dangerously restrict sight lines and a wall or bank precludes safe refuge. Sometimes I, like many others, resort to single occupancy car use to make very short journeys because it is so dangerous. I have been struck a glancing blow by a speeding van, we have had an upturned car across our gate, we frequently sweep up debris from road collisions and witness or hear of numerous alarming near misses involving vulnerable pedestrians including children and many elderly walkers. None of these real life warning serious incidents would register appreciably on the proposed risk assessment tool. People, notably the most vulnerable or those needing special consideration, are frightened to walk or cycle on village roads and deterred from normal activities, including taking exercise, within our community. We need a policy backed up by a proportionate and adequate budget which reflects UK best practice, the full spirit of the DfT 2013 guidance, the Highway Code, and the views of those most at risk or affected by dangerous traffic speeds and dangerous country roads. This policy is a betrayal of Dorset pedestrians, cyclists and others including the vulnerable in our communities. It introduces unreasonable rules which are not part of the 2013 guidance or in place elsewhere in the UK. It fails to address unacceptable and worsening risks on our roads and the deterrent effect of this for the most vulnerable in our communities. 2 Why is Dorset proceeding in the opposite direction to the rest of the UK and Europe in proposing a process which introduces prohibitive rules and abandons the core principles and up to date interpretations of the DfT guidance? In making it more difficult rather than easier to moderate speed where needed you would be abandoning your obligations to protect the quality of life for those of us who live in Dorset, particularly the most vulnerable and in need of protection or support, Response from the Head of Highways Response 7: Dorset Council is following the most up to date DfT guidance (circular 01/2013) and will continue to keep all speed limits under review. We recognise the importance and emotive nature of this subject and are fully committed to improving road safety and quality of life for all residents. This new process will allow us to implement more 20mph schemes where this would be appropriate and within budget. 6. Question from
Sandra Reeve On reading the recent report by the
Road Safety Manager which is being considered by your committee today, I was
surprised to note that the needs of those with protected characteristics appear
to have been ignored by this report. In stark contrast to the Equality
Impact Assessment section in the
preceding Air Quality Action Plan, the equivalent section in this report simply
says “not applicable”. The evidence shows that children and
the elderly are particularly affected by high speeds. “A vehicle travelling at 20mph would
stop in time to avoid a child running out three car-lengths in front. The same
vehicle travelling at 25mph would not be able to stop in time, and would hit
the child at 18mph.”(www.brake.org) “The risk of injury increases
exponentially with impact speed. A crash at 30mph has twice as much energy and
destructive potential as a crash at 20mph.” ( www.brake.org) Many
elderly people also cite speed of
traffic as a reason for giving up walking to the shops and to see their
friends. Finally people with disabilities of
imperfect sight, hearing or mobility are disproportionately impacted by the
speed of vehicles. Question1 As a committee are you satisfied with
the report’s verdict of ‘not applicable’
or do you feel that more research into this aspect of the 29 mph Speed Limit
Approach report is both required and
necessary? Response from
the Head of Highways Response 8:
The new process will provide a way for
assessing 20mph applications for the whole road network and is aligned to the
Government guidance provided by the DfT. The process
takes account of the needs of all road users, especially vulnerable road users,
in all communities and is considered so wide ranging that is does not require
any separate assessment for individually protected characteristic groups. Statements
relating to agenda item 8 – 20mph Speed Limit Approach 1. Statement from Alice Mole WHY
IS DORSET OUT OF STEP? The
updated Highway Code prioritises pedestrians at junctions. Lower
speeds are essential to make this possible on Dorset’s many roads with no
pavements. Over
recent years the size of lorries travelling on Dorset’s inappropriate roads has
increased enormously and the danger to walkers, riders and cyclists has
increased hugely. 28
MILLION people in the UK already live in areas where 20 mph speed limits are
standard policy. Wales is set to
establish a 20mph national speed limit on urban and residential roads in 2023
and by 2025 Scotland will limit speed on all appropriate roads to 20 mph. The
danger on Dorset’s roads could be dramatically reduced by agreeing to 20 mph
speed limits on the many roads without pavements where pedestrians are forced
to walk in the road. WHY
IS DORSET OUT OF STEP? Up
to date information & advice is available from the 20’s Plenty for Us
group. Highway
Authorities in Wales, Cornwall, Southampton, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire &
Cambridgeshire have used their evidence when fully considering implementing a
20 mph policy on appropriate roads. Dorset should not
be out of step. Reconsider &
implement 20 mph without further delay. 2. Statement from Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle Good morning Ladies
and gentlemen. My name is Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle. I am a parish councillor in Langton Matravers with particular responsibility for highways
matters. I have been personally involved in two unsuccessful bids for 20 mph
and have since made it a priority to understand the whole question of 20 mph. I
am also a member of the Purbeck Transport Action Group in which my main focus
is road transport. I was first alerted
to this matter on 11th April with comments required by 13th,
giving only two days to absorb and analyse this important issue and to prepare
comments. Such a short lead-time cannot
be good for democracy. My overall
impression of the paper is a desire to place as many obstacles as possible in
the path of a community wishing to reduce speed in their area from 30 to 20
mph, whereas the general thrust elsewhere in the country, including our
neighbours in BCP, is the opposite. Many
shire boroughs have set 20mph as the norm throughout their communities, an
approach which reduces accidents and greatly enhances the quality of life, particularly
in villages which are blighted by speed and volume of traffic. The paper appears
to ‘hide’ behind rather than considering and interpreting DfT
guidance and criteria, which was promulgated some eight years ago and, in some
aspects, is now outdated. I have the
following specific comments on the proposed principles, criteria and process: · DfT
guidance makes no mention of A and B roads being unsuitable for 20 mph
limits. Indeed, through villages it is
on such roads where 20 is often badly needed to improve safety and quality of
life. This should be reworded. · Where
a village/community has conducted a survey to gauge support for 20 mph, this
should be preferable to the opinion of the local councillor, who may not even
live in the area. The requirement should be amended. · A
record of ‘near misses’ should be afforded equal weighting as injury
collisions. This should be reflected in
the appropriate criteria. · Once a
decision is reached on a bid for 20 mph, the reasons in full should be passed
to the applicant who should then be given the opportunity to appeal the
decision to an independent committee eg. the
Transport and Highways Board. 3. Statement
from Cllr Andrew Davis (Fontmell Magna Parish
Council) Fontmell Magna requires a 20-mph speed limit throughout
the village and in particular along the dangerous A350. The A350 passes through Fontmell
Magna effectively cutting the village in two. The majority of the road is
narrow carriageway with blind corners edged with either high banks or walls. To
access village amenities – shop, inn, village hall and church on one side, and
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the wildlife reserve and residential
streets on the other - villagers and visitors have to walk in the carriageway,
negotiating these blind corners and speeding traffic with nowhere to jump to
for safety. The proposed Dorset
Highways policy largely repeats the DfT 2013 guidance
for setting speed limits, and fails to take into account best practise from
other County Councils regarding the effectiveness of their 20-mph speed limits.
The proposal fails to deliver a balance between safety objectives for all road
users and mobility objectives to ensure efficient travel, as well as
environmental and community outcomes. Furthermore, no consultation
has taken place with Parish or town representatives. We urge the
Councillors to support the 20-mph speed limit now or, as a minimum, put the
proposal out for public consultation. We all want
everyone to get home safe. 4. Statement from
Susan Clay (Community Speedwatch Co-ordinator for
Okeford Fitzpaine) The Dorset Council approach to the subject of a 20 mph speed
limit where people have to share space with traffic is baffling in the
extreme. Instead of listening to the people who vote for them, the
councillors have drawn up a draft report that is no improvement on the previous
one and shows that they have no intention of conforming to Department For
Transport Guidelines or of recognising the United Nations recommendation for a
20 mph speed limit in residential areas where people share road space with
traffic. The Council has, once again, ‘cherry-picked’ their way
through the DFT guidelines and inserted ‘clauses’ that tell the world that the
Dorset Council is not remotely interested in keeping their voters
safe. It also says to all of us that the only reason for this
inexplicable intransigence is that no councillor has any intention of slowing
down their own speeds in the interests of the well-being of the rest of the
Dorset residents – have I touched a nerve by any chance? Those
councillors must be the same inconsiderate drivers who speed recklessly through
my village and I find myself wondering if those councillors ever get out and
walk or get on a bicycle or a horse, or if they are ever out with a dog on a
lead, or with a child either on a scooter or being held by the hand, or if they
have ever tried crossing a road with a zimmer frame,
especially in a place where there is no pavement. 28 million British people live where there is a 20 mph speed limit and whilst Scotland and Wales, amongst other places, are fast approaching a universal default 20 mph in residential settlements, there are relatively few in Dorset outside urban areas. Dorset Council received a multi-million pound injection of cash from Central Government for Highways expenditure but, apparently, they are only allocating £75,000 of that towards implementing lower speed limits. The British Government introduced the 30 mph speed limit in 1934, a time when few people had cars anyway, when you could drive for an hour and not see another car on the road and when all vehicles were much smaller and much slower. In 2022, 88 years on, with a population explosion, when many families have at least two cars and when many people drive to work, to school or to leisure pursuits in their own cars, it is time for a major overhaul, a major rethink and a major implementation of the need to slow traffic down by introducing a 20 mph speed limit in all areas where people have to share space with traffic. STOP PROCRASTINATING, DEMONSTRATE SOME COMMON SENSE AND
EMPATHY WITH YOUR VOTERS AND VOTE FOR A BLANKET 20 MPH SPEED LIMIT IN ALL
RESIDENTIAL SETTLEMENTS THROUGHOUT DORSET – TODAY AT THIS MEETING. 5. Statement from Mick Duncan 20mph speed limits in residential areas. The above request is of immense important. It would go some little way towards discouraging vehicles from using villages as bypasses. Quick passages between two major A Roads. West Moors is a good example , between Ringwood and Ferndown. I am one person who wishes to see this happen , especially to curb , Traffic numbers through West Moors where recently a death happened on a pedestrian crossing. 6. Statement from Giles Watts (Dorset Climate Action
Network) Time moves on and social norms
change. What would have been acceptable
even a short time ago is no longer appropriate today. Five years ago I would probably have been
against wholesale 20mph zones but now I think it makes excellent sense. What I have realised is that:
In successive UK
government surveys, 70% said that 20mph was the right speed limit for
residential streets. Implementing them should be the community choice and be
relatively easy to implement. This draft paper from Dorset Council is, sadly, a
backward-looking policy. Those responsible (which would have been me a few
years ago) need to feel which way the wind is blowing and recognise that 20mph
zones are very likely to become the norm across the country in the very near
future for very good safety, environmental and social reasons. I urge the
committee to reject this paper and to ask that it be revised in a simpler and
form which more closely follows the DfT guidelines;
and to do this as soon as possible to avoid any further delay. 7. Statement
from Peter Henshaw I believe
the report on 20mph is fundamentally flawed for the following reasons: It does not
follow current DfT guidance, which does not prohibit
20mph limits on A and B roads (note 20-limit on A30 in West Coker). 30-limits
are already widely ignored, but 20-limits have been proven to reduce average
speeds. The link
between speed and severity of injuries/death is well established. It ignores
evidence accepted in many rural and urban local authorities in the UK - eg the Welsh government has introduced 20mph as the default
urban speed limit, for example. National
government policy (and presumably Dorset Council policy) is to encourage
walking and cycling - fear of traffic is a key factor in preventing
walking/cycling, and lower speeds produce a less intimidating and safer
environment. The recent
Highway Code changes, giving greater priority and protection to vulnerable road
users, will be far more effective with a 20mph limit. The £75,000
allocated is grossly inadequate compared to the budget for road schemes in general.
8. Statement
from Dilys Gartside (Parish councillor for Okeford Fitzpaine and
20sPlentyforDorset campaign coordinator) The Report
of Dorset Council’s Road Safety Manager on ‘20mph speed limit Approach’ has
long been anticipated by communities across the county in expectation that it would address their
concerns at inappropriate traffic speed where people and motors must mix for
lack of alternative road space. Dept for
Transport Guidance issued nearly a decade ago gave highway
authorities the ability to set wide-area 20mph limits which has already led to
20million people in England enjoying the many benefits of living where these
schemes are implemented; they include shire counties, unitary authorities and
metropolitan boroughs. Wales and
Scotland are fast moving towards a national 20mph limit as the norm in towns
and villages. Most 20mph limits in the UK are now
authority-wide with no additional physical calming, and proven 7 times more
cost effective in reducing speed across urban and village networks. In contrast, Dorset is proposing its own criteria for judging
who may qualify to live on safer roads. There is a key requirement in the DfT guidance that ‘the needs of vulnerable road users MUST
be fully taken into account when setting speed limits’ and is one of the few mandatory statements of
the Guidance yet it appears, in Dorset, these needs can be arbitrarily
waved if, for example, according to this Report now before Committee :- a.
its an A or a B road b.
drivers have decided that they will drive above 30mph and ignore any
risks or hazards c.
the local ward Member doesn’t want it ! I therefore call on this Committee
and Dorset Councillors to reject this Report as being : contrary to
Government Guidelines contrary to the
wishes of communities across Dorset contrary to its
commitment to reduce carbon emissions contrary to its
equality policies concerning young old and disabled people contrary to the
national movement towards 20mph being the norm where soft human bodies must mix
with hard motor vehicles. Statements continue over… Statements
relating to agenda item 7 – Results of the Draft Air Quality Action Plan
Consultation and proposed Air Quality Action Plan Statement from Sal Robinson (Clerk
to Chideock Parish Council) The Chideock
Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) has not been reviewed since 2011 and
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Appendix 2 - Questions from Members Agenda item 6 – Questions from Members Questions relating to agenda
item 8 – 20mph Speed Limit Approach Questions from Councillor Beryl Ezzard I welcome this Report coming to the Overview
Committee and wish to voice my concerns and my disappointment on the lack of
scope in interpretation made by DC of the DfT updated
Guidance of 2013. This Report has a negative feel towards 20 mph
implementation, taking the view that the DC follow the DfT
Guidance to the letter! Surely, because
there are no “MUSTS” (regulated rules by Laws) in the DfT
Guidance, regarding road speed reduction: the “SHOULD” in the DfT guidance, ought to be implemented by DC as in the
“SPIRIT” of the Guidance, allowing more flexibility regarding the list of
onerous criteria. The small allowance of £75K is by no means enough, even if
overcoming the Criteria; means only 15 roads costing £5K each would be able to
reduce the speed limit, in the period stated Q1.How many years does the £75K cover. A key requirement: as stated in the Dft Guidance - “is that Local Authorities when setting
speed limits MUST take into account the
needs of vulnerable roads users, i.e.: pedestrians and cyclists.” However, when
setting speed limits, the DC “ do not need to take into account any operational
decisions of the Police on the level of enforcement.” Q2. With many flaws in the this Report I request
that it is deferred and re-written with a more positive outcome so that 20 mph.
limits are possible in many towns, villages and rural areas; many communities
will benefit from bringing forward 20 mph limits without onerous criteria; In considering A & B Roads, where average speeds are
30mph(allowed currently) and the last (it must be a joke!) and I quote “A Local
Ward Member doesn’t want it” beggars belief.? Let’s
bring DC up to date, as many counties in England have since 2013 where 20 mph
is regarded as the new 30 mph; which has proved to be much safer, for
vulnerable road users, and in these times of the World Climate Emergency; fuel
economy, less pollution and kinder for the environment and people. Response from the Head of Highways Dorset Council have previously
installed thirty-one (31) 20mph schemes and are committed to introducing more
schemes as part of the new process. Presently, we have seventeen (17)
expressions of interest for 20mph schemes. This will be the first time that Dorset
Council has provided a separate budget for 20mph schemes and the £75K relates
to this financial year. In addition to the allocated budget there will also be
an option to consider additional capital funding for any complex schemes. To achieve compliance there should
be no expectation on the police to provide additional enforcement beyond their
routine activity unless this has been explicitly agreed. Liaison will take place with Dorset Police as part
of normal professional relationships and as part of the formal TRO primary
consultation process. The new process provides a robust but fair approach to identifying high priority schemes for Dorset Council capital funding and lower priority schemes that still meet the criteria but could be delivered sooner if local town and parish council funding can be found. |