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Traffic Management (County Durham)

The Petition of residents of Brancepeth Village, County Durham, and others, Declares that the residents of Brancepeth Village have for many years requested a 30 mph speed limit to be imposed on the A690 road through Brancepeth; further declares that although the speed limit has been reduced to 40 mph, lighting has been provided on the dangerous crossroads in the village centre and a 30 mph speed limit is now in place on the Wolsingham Road that crosses the A690, the traffic on the A690 itself continues to pose a threat to life and limb; Notes that traffic problems are intensifying in the village for three main reasons: first, the ageing population has to cross the A690 to access village amenities, such as the Village Hall and Church; second, there is a growing number of very young children in the village and young mothers with push chairs report that crossing the A690 is a frightening prospect; and third, now that the recreational area has been brought back into use, there are very many more pedestrians of all ages crossing the main road to avail themselves of this amenity; further notes that without a 30 mph speed limit and accompanying illuminated signs, there is a high risk of further fatalities. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Transport to put pressure on the local authorities to impose as soon as possible a 30 mph speed limit on the A690 road through Brancepeth, in accordance with the national traffic policy for rural villages, with accompanying illuminated signs. 16 Mar 2009 : Column 6P And the Petitioners remain, etc. —[Presented by Dr. Roberta Blackman-Woods , Official Report, 5 February 2009; Vol. 487, c. 1084.] [P000315] Observations from the Secretary of State for Transport: Local authorities are responsible for setting their own speed limits and for introducing any measures considered necessary to ensure compliance. As such, local authorities have the power to implement 30 mph limits on any of their roads if they believe it appropriate to do so. Local authorities have been given this responsibility because their knowledge of local needs and conditions means that they are ideally placed to determine appropriate speed limits for individual roads based on their knowledge of the area and taking into account their wider network management responsibilities. The Department’s guidance to local traffic authorities on setting local speed limits (DfT Circular 01/2006) was published in August 2006. This document recognised the need to improve speed limit consistency across the rural road network and suggests a two tier approach when setting rural speed limits. The upper tier focuses on A and B roads, while the lower tier concentrates on the C and unclassified roads. Each tier has a recommended speed limit for certain circumstances. A speed assessment framework is incorporated into the guidance which will assist local authorities with their decision making process. This document also recognises that rural settlements deserve the same protection from vehicle speeds as those offered to residents in more urban areas. It is therefore Government policy that villages should be subject to a 30 mph speed limit wherever practicable. Traffic Advisory Leaflet 1/04 Village Speed Limits provides additional guidance on achieving lower speed limits in villages. The Department firmly believes that the setting of speed limits is a local matter and the final decision should rightly rest with the local authority. In this regard local authorities should work closely with their local police force to agree on appropriate speed limits for individual roads and to determine what measures are needed to ensure compliance. This process will not only improve road safety but will lead to increased respect for and compliance with speed limits.