Agenda item

To consider the following petition of 3557 signatures from Gilly Jones, New Forest Speed Awareness Campaign in accordance with the Council’s Petitions Scheme:-

“We the undersigned petition the council to add its support to calls for the introduction of an Average Speed Camera system on the B3078”

In light of the recent tragic deaths of three donkeys, two sheep and four ponies on the B3078 Roger Penny Way and the history of animal casualties on this route, that the District Council adds its support to calls for the introduction of an Average Speed Camera system on this route.

Note:

In accordance with Standing Order 38, the petition organiser may present the petition for a maximum of five minutes.  Councillors may debate the petition for a maximum of 15 minutes.

The Chairman welcomed Gilly Jones of the New Forest Speed Awareness Campaign to the Council meeting who had organised the following petition as set out on the Council agenda:-

“We the undersigned petition the council to add its support to calls for the introduction of an Average Speed Camera system on the B3078.”

The petition contained 3,557 signatures from people who live or work in the District and therefore met the required threshold of 1,700 in the Council’s petitions scheme for a Council debate.

Gilly Jones presented the petition and made a statement.  She encouraged the need for agencies to work together to reduce the number of animal casualties and the solution of an average speed camera system was a viable one.

The Chairman welcomed Sarah Weston to the Council meeting who had organised a similar petition on the website change.org, which was signed by over 50,000 people without a requirement to live or work in the District.

Sarah Weston spoke in support of the petition on the Council agenda and her own involvement in the campaign and the wider audience for her petition.  The wider petition had now reached over 63,000 signatures.  Members were urged to consider the measures that might have been implemented to date, had the casualties been human rather than animal.

The Leader of the Council responded to the petition and thanked members of the public for their work in bringing an important matter to the Council’s attention.  Although the District Council did not have the responsibility or powers to install average speed cameras, the petition called on the Council to add its support to the campaign.  The Leader was pleased to report positive progress on this issue, as the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner was agreeable to contributing towards a feasibility study.  He then moved the following motion:-

“That the Council adds its support to the campaign for the introduction of an Average Speed Camera system on the B3078.” 

Cllr Cleary seconded the motion.

The Leader undertook to write to partners to ensure the matter was progressed, bringing back appropriate reports to the Council’s Cabinet, if the Council was in agreement with the motion.

The Council debated the petition and the motion.

The majority of Members spoke in strong support of the motion and acknowledged that the campaign on this particular road had been over a number of years.  It was a particularly dangerous route at night time.  Some Members spoke of their personal experiences with animal casualties in addition to those raised by the petitioners.  If successful, it was suggested that the average speed camera model could be one that was viable for reducing animal casualties across the wider forest.  Members welcomed the opportunity for viability studies to take place to ensure a solution was evidence based.

One Member expressed their concern that average speed cameras might be the wrong solution for a real issue across many forest roads.  It was suggested that a reduction in overall speed limits might be a more cost effective solution that was also more successful in reducing incidents.

The Leader of the Council responded to the debate and the concern that the average speed camera solution may not be the most effective.  At the last speed monitoring report along this road, it was established that 48% of the vehicles on the route exceeded the speed limit.  Whilst speed was not the only factor in animal casualties on all forest roads, this particular route experienced 30% of total casualties with speed playing a major part in driver behaviour on the B3078, due to its long and straight design.  This solution had not been rushed to and many interventions had been discussed over a long term campaign.  He welcomed the opportunity for further viability studies.

RESOLVED:

That the Council adds its support to the campaign for the introduction of an Average Speed Camera system on the B3078.

Note – Cllr Harrison requested that his abstention from the resolution above, be recorded.