Dear Chief Inspector Reeves

I have read your response to Keith Taylor MEP letter with a mixture  of surprise and disappointment. Mr Taylor visited this area last winter at the express invitation of parish councillors, and concerned residents.. This was as a response to the ward completing a 1000 plus named petition, presented to Maidstone Joint Transportation meeting in July. The petition stated….. We the undersigned call upon Kent County Council to review its policy on speed limits starting with those around schools.  We would like ideally a 20mph speed limit in all residential areas, but to start with we call for the Council to pro-actively work with schools, and where there is a request from parents and support from local residents, implement 20mph speed limits in the area around that school. This to be done in full consultation with the community.

Obviously this was received by the committee and a response drafted at a subsequent meetings outlined in brief the same message to Mr Taylor (see attachment). My surprise and disappointment is firstly that the police should be so negative about the matter. They have an opportunity to engage with communities and at a time when consultation and dialogue through localism is supposed to work with communities then this seems to fly in the face of such an idea. PACT’s were formed in both villages and highlighted their support for such initiatives. Parish Councils supported the principal. Councillors at both borough and county level supported the initiative. Speedwatch schemes were also begun and it is viewed as supporting this call for this initiative. It was discussed locally by all members of the community, in various groups and at schools, yet still the police response was negative.

I fail to see when funding has been identified (which it has) that pays for the installation of the speed limits outside the schools, that communities are willing to discuss and even raise other safety issues, like seat belts, mobile phones, safe parking, that the opportunity seems to being wasted. I have looked at other areas, some 20 mph zones, which are costly, and have to say that where 20mph areas are created that the community self enforces the concept and polices it much of the time themselves. This can be seen particularly in Lenham where the primary school children are proactively supporting the campaign and where the secondary school, through one of its students, has even gone to his fellow students and gathered data and highlighted the school’s support for the initiative.

Looking nationally we have councils supported by their police force, in a manner that their communities appreciate. If you visit 20’s plenty website  www.20splentyforus.org.uk you will find up to date information on the wider campaign and its growing support. When looking around other areas in Kent eg Sandwich we see a town that has 20mph areas and it is working and supported by its community.

I see this a wasted opportunity, and when we in the community are trying to work so very hard with the police, we have a great difficulty in supporting initiatives enthusiastically , when the community wants support from its police force and receives the response given by yourself. I want and I believe what others want is a positive can do attitude, working with partners in reducing speed and saving lives. It can be done, and it must be done. Your support is essential to make this happen.

I would welcome the opportunity for you to visit the Parish councils, schools, and community leaders and see the support for the 20’s plenty campaign in our community. Perhaps you can offer a time and date and we might facilitate an event on speeding and road safety. Your police officers do this extremely well locally.

We will continue to campaign on this matter, and invite you to become involved.

Thank you

Yours sincerely

Tom Sams

20mph Speed Limits Around Schools
33. At the last meeting of this board it was reported that a petition was received calling upon
Kent County Council to review its policy on speed limits starting with those around
schools. The petitioners would ideally like a 20mph speed limit in all residential areas,
but to start with they called for the Council to pro-actively work with schools, and where
there is a request from parents and support from local residents to implement 20mph
speed limits in the area around that school. This to be done in full consultation with the
community.
34. It was reported that the request for a change in the County’s speed limit policy was
passed to the Road Safety Policy team to be considered and that Kent Highway
Services will continue to investigate and promote safety measures for Schools on an
individually targeted basis.
35. The following update has been received from Head of Network Management &
Performance. A discussion paper to identify options to highlight the dangers of speeding
outside schools is being considered by the Cabinet for Highways. The direction KCC is
likely to take will be based upon meeting the community concerns balanced realistically
with appropriate budget availability. This paper will be reported and debated at the
Environment, Highways and Waste Policy, Overview and Scrutiny Committee prior to a
decision being made which will be reported to a future meeting of this Board. However,
as previously explained Kent Highway Services will continue to investigate and promote
safety measures for Schools on an individually targeted basis as part of the annual
casualty reduction programme as road safety remains a key priority for the Highway
Authority.

36. The local County Councillor has indicated they are willing to submit a Member Highway
Fund request for a 20mph speed limit in Lenham outside the schools on Ham Lane.

Issues discussed Motorway noise and 20mph speed limits outside our schools.

Present Keith Taylor MEP, Stuart Jeffrey 20’s plenty Maidstone Co-ordinator and meeting facilitator. Present rom Community organisations Stephen Morris Harrietsham Parish Council Chairman, Nigel Godfrey Lenham Parish Council Chairman, Janetta Sams (at Lenham Primary School) Harrietsham & Lenham 20’s plenty Co-ordinator, Tom Sams Borough Councillor and Lenham PACT co-ordinator.

Brief background given to Mr Taylor outlining the past history of the motorway and its impact on local resident. Trip taken around area starting at Harrietsham Primary school and then onto Fairbourne Lane Bridge. Mr Taylor could quite clearly hear the effect of the noise at both points. Cllr Morris departed. We drove onto motorway bridge at Platts Heath and then drove along Lenham Heath rd to bridge near Bull hill. The noise was continuous and loud at all the points along the route. Drove back to Lenham Primary School were we were joined by Mrs Sams. She outlined where we were with the campaign so far and the response so far from KHS. Cllr Godfrey supported her comments. Mr Taylor offered his help with both campaigns.

The meeting resolved to on the motorway noise issue

· The Parish Councils to report back to their committees
· PC’s to produce a background document outlining our concerns
· MBC to be asked to carry out noise assessments at strategic points. These can be compared with other areas that have had similar readings
· PC’s to work with Mr Taylor to find out what we can do from EU perspective.

In light of the above perhaps next year we might look at restarting the campaign.

20’s plenty campaign,
· continue putting pressure on KHS and police
· Mr Taylor to write to Kent Chief Constable Ian Learmouth who is ex Norfolk police where they have experience of policing such initiatives.
· To continue campaign locally and inform others of meeting.

20mph Speed Limits Around Schools
23. At the last meeting of this board a petition was received calling upon Kent County
Council to review its policy on speed limits starting with those around schools. The
petitioners would ideally like a 20mph speed limit in all residential areas, but to start with
they called for the Council to pro-actively work with schools, and where there is a
request from parents and support from local residents to implement 20mph speed limits
in the area around that school. This to be done in full consultation with the community.
24. As reported due to Government reductions in grant funding the County Council has
suspended its speed limit review. However, safety remains a priority for the Highway
Authority and where a speed limit demonstrates a quantifiable injury crash saving a
funding bid will be made accordingly. The County Council reviews the safety record on
every road in Kent as part of its annual crash remedial measures programme and where
appropriate promotes safety measures including reductions in speed limits. This year’s
review has just begun and particular attention will be paid on the crash records involving
vulnerable road users including children and especially outside schools.
25. The County Council also works with Schools to prepare School Travel Plans which look
into the road safety issues arising at the school and recommends safety measures and
where appropriate reductions in speed limits. This approach which looks at each school
and its individual and specific problems is preferred to a blanket approach and provides
better more effective and targeted solutions.
26. The request for a change in the County’s speed limit policy has been passed to the
Road Safety Policy team to be considered and Kent Highway Services will continue to
investigate and promote safety measures for Schools on an individually targeted basis
as explained above.

Minutes state:

The Board considered the report of the Head of Transport and Development regarding an update on petitions submitted to Kent Highway Services.

Members were informed that the current policy on 20 mph speed limits was adopted in July 2008. At that time it was thought that a blanket policy was not appropriate. The petition with regard to 20 mph speed limits has been forwarded to the Highways Safety Manager.

It was suggested that the Member Highway Fund was an alternative option for funding signs, Traffic Regulation Orders and whatever else may be necessary to help the problem areas and the Member requested that costings are drawn up.

A Member asked if the Sutton Road Service Road issue of repairing had been addressed and Officers agreed to look into this and respond directly to the Member.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions about the campaign, and be updated on other local issues raised.

The petition for 20mph speed limits outside the schools has now more than 800 signatures. The County councillor Jenny Whittle, has endorsed the campaign  at the Harrietsham Parish Council AGM. We have had a talk on the campaign from Stuart Jeffrey  Maidstone’s 20’s plenty organiser. I will be writing to the Parish Councils for their support. The school head teachers at our 4 schools all support it. Please sign the petition where you see it, we need 1000 names to be effective. We will work out a strategy to put pressure on the authorities to move this forward. I suppose it’s a watch this space situation.

Janetta Sams 20’s plenty Harrietsham & Lenham Parishes co-ordinator

Research from around the country, as well as our own research in Maidstone, has shown an overwhelming support for a lower speed limit in town. We recognise that a 20mph limit is not a panacea for our roads, there is far more work to do to make them safer and greener, but 20mph sends a strong message to slow down. If it helps take 5mph off the average speed, then it will have undoubtably have made our roads safer!

Three questions:

• Do you want cars travelling past your house at 20mph or 30mph?
• Would it be safer for our children and encourage them to play outside more with a 20mph limit or 30mph?
• Which would make you more confident about kids walking and cycling to school, roads limited to 20mph or 30mph?

Local Greens have decided to start this important campaign to make our roads safer and for Maidstone to join other leading towns such as Norwich, Oxford and Islington by making residential roads 20mph.

FACTS!

• More than half of road deaths and serious injuries occur on roads with 30 mph limits (Ref: RoSPA)
• Britain has the third highest rate of pedestrian road fatalities out of 10 Western European countries surveyed by the AA (Ref: The AA)
• The proportion of children (aged 5-10) walking to school has fallen by 27% in the last 20 years (Ref: DfT 67% in 1985 to 49% in 2005)
• British parents consistently cite traffic danger as the main reason why their children are not allowed to cycle or walk to school (Ref: National Travel Survey)
• Lowering urban and residential speed limits to 20 mph has been found to decrease accidents by 60% (Ref: Transport Research Laboratory)