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9.2 Report – Speeding Issues Consultation 211102

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REPORT TO PICKMERE PARISH COUNCIL

 

2nd November 2021

 

AGENDA ITEM 9.2            SPEEDING ISSUES CONSULTATION – SPEED CAMERAS   

 

1          REPORT

 

1.1       Following the brief reporting of this topic at your last meeting, further information has now been received and a site meeting held with the co-ordinator of the proposed scheme.  Pickmere’s Community Speedwatch scheme summary statistics have also been submitted.

 

Scheme Background

 

1.2       The proposed pilot scheme emanates from a Chalc Initiative but has now received in principle support from the recently elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire.  The scheme is not yet assured – Chalc are developing a list of parish (and town) councils that have expressed willingness to take part in the pilot; this list is likely to be considerable larger than the number of potential places that are likely to be available in the pilot scheme.  Chalc will be seeking to agree with the Police that a pilot scheme should go ahead, on the basis of the list of pilot councils put forward.

 

1.3       The basics of the pilot scheme are as follows:

 

  • It proposes to install two average speed cameras in appropriate locations where speeding is a problem;
  • The back office support for the cameras would be supplied by the Police.
  • The ‘successful’ parish councils will inevitably have to make a significant financial contribution to the provision of the cameras. It would seem that an annual contribution in the order of £5000 will be necessary to make taking part in the scheme a possibility.  This is not a subjective or bureaucratic requirement of Chalc or indeed the Police; it is the level of funding that the Chalc co-ordinator believes will be required to fund the provision of the technology and thereby demonstrate to the Police the seriousness of the council in question in seeking to deal with their speeding problem.
  • If the pilot were to be successful, and the scheme rolled out on a wider basis then it may be that individual unit costs might reduce, for instance as back-office costs will be shared with more councils.
  • Some councils have said that they would consider using a Public Works Loan Board loan to fund their participation in the scheme; another has said they could fund the first year cost through the use of reserves and future years through an increase in their precept.
  • Funds received through the imposition of speeding fines will, as is usual, go to the Treasury; however if the scheme results in more motorists choosing to attend Speed Awareness courses, the ‘profits’ from the running of such courses are held by the Police Authority. This therefore provides that body with some sort of incentive to support the scheme.
  • Nothing is yet certain – the pilot scheme is still a ‘proposal’ and is not yet confirmed.
  • Chalc require your Council’s decision as to whether it wishes to be included in the list of potential pilots ideally on 3rd November because of the short timescales involved.

 

1.4       Not taking part in the pilot does not rule out the possibility of joining a future wider scheme if that becomes a reality.

 

Implications for Pickmere

 

1.5       So as to remain on the list of small councils being considered for inclusion in the pilot scheme (where there are perhaps only 3 or 4 spaces), it will be necessary for Council to agree that it would be willing to fund participation to the extent of at least £5000 per annum.  As mentioned above, if the pilot rolls into a fuller scheme, it may be that this cost would reduce.  The Chalc co-ordinator wishes to emphasise that this is not a competitive exercise at all – it is simply the case that without such a level of funding, there would be no Police support for a Council to enter the pilot scheme.

 

1.6       Should Council accept this point, then Chalc would decide which of the volunteer councils might be most appropriate to carry out this pilot (It is assumed based upon the level of financial input proposed, and perhaps also practical issues such as the severity of the speeding problem in each case, and the suitability of the suggested camera locations), and then final confirmation that a pilot should proceed at all will be required, that decision principally involving the Police.

 

  1. RECOMMENDATION

 

2.1       That Council considers the information and decides how to proceed.

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Steel

Clerk to the Parish Council