So what are the Five Es?

Road Safety failures

West Bergholt Road Safety Group

So what are the Five Es?

In short the Five Es are the village’s Road Safety Group’s basic principles for improving Road Safety in West Bergholt.  The Road Safety Group was formed two years ago prompted by:

  • a concern for safety around the Co-op zebra crossing, and
  • the need to create a second road safety plan for:
    • the school area, and
    • other roads around the village.

The group is made up of Borough & Parish Council members and volunteers from around the village. We are engaging fully with Essex Council and Anne Brown, our County Councilor has a significant interest in our campaign.

The Five Es

No single action Continue reading “So what are the Five Es?”

Annoyed by Poor Parking in the Village?

Examples of poor parking

West Bergholt Road Safety GroupAnnoyed by Poor Parking in the Village?

Working together the Parish Council and Road Safety Group are looking at means of enforcement and education to promote better parking in the village.  The Group now wants to recruit a team of volunteer parking monitors to occasionally patrol a few areas in the village to curtail poor parking.

We aren’t expecting volunteers to act like traffic wardens, simply wander around hot spots encouraging better parking behaviour.  Hi-vis jackets with the council logo will be provided as well as guidelines.  All patrols will be in pairs of course.

This is what we are talking about:

Examples of poor parking

Find out more

To find out more, or to volunteer, please contact Harry Stone (Parish Councillor):

Traffic Safety Plan Group Meeting – 2nd February

Traffic Safety Plan Group Meeting – 2nd February

The Traffic Safety Plan Group met on 2nd February and continued discussions on a range of actions and initiatives including trygve, yellow lines, parking opportunities, clearer signs/roadside furniture and progress on the upcoming workshop event on 25th February.

West Bergholt Traffic Safety Plan Group

Notes of meeting held on Thursday 2nd February 2017

Members present:- Lewis Barber, Chris Stevenson, Harry Stone Gemma Ross, Jenny Church, Jeffrey Martin Continue reading “Traffic Safety Plan Group Meeting – 2nd February”

Traffic Safety Plan Group Meeting – 5th January

Traffic Safety Plan Group Meeting – 5th January

The Traffic Safety Plan Group met on 5th January and discussed a range of actions and initiatives including trygve, yellow lines, parking opportunities, school travel arrangements, VAS on Lexden Rd and an upcoming workshop event on 25th February.

West Bergholt Traffic Safety Plan Group

Notes of meeting held on Thursday 5th January 2017

Members present:- Chris Stevenson, Harry Stone, Gemma Ross, Jenny Church. Continue reading “Traffic Safety Plan Group Meeting – 5th January”

5 Es to Address Traffic Safety

5 Es to Address Traffic Safety

trygve-picture-report
Illegally Parked Vehicle

Responding to concerns about traffic related safety issues in the village, the Parish Council has helped to form a group whose brief is to explore ways of addressing these concerns.  This group consists of Parish Councillors, Borough Councillors and residents who want to help bring about improvements; since September it has met three times.

As a starting point, the Village Safety Plan of 2012, which led to changes in New Church Road, has been revisited.  As then, no single measure will solve all our problems, and so an approach, which is termed the 5 Es, is being followed.

  1. Engage the community
  2. Encourage good driving and parking
  3. Educate all sections of the community
  4. Enforce the regulations
  5. Engineer revised road layouts

All need careful thought and cooperation to achieve, with 4E and 5E being most difficult and needing most time; however we have made a start.

On 25th February in the Orpen Hall a safety promotional event is being planned and will be advertised fully in the New Year, so please look out for details and make every effort to attend.

Reporting bad & illegal practices on Trygve
Reporting bad & illegal practices on Trygve

Trygve

Following increased activity on Facebook about 30 residents have already downloaded an App called Trygve.  This gives you the chance to report incidents, with photographs if appropriate, and will:

  • give the authorities the means to identify persistent safety abusers, and
  • enable the group to collect evidence to support action at the most dangerous hotspots.

That being so, if you feel able, please sign up to join those already giving their support using this link.

Communications

The team are also establishing good communications with the School, hence parents, and there are plans to engage other key players such as the Coop.

If you have ideas to help, or would like more information, please contact the group through the Parish Clerk, Laura Walkinshaw, on 240772 or [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].

Harry Stone
(Vice Chair of Parish Council)

Traffic Safety Progress

Traffic Safety Progress

Traffic Safety ProgressTraffic Safety Progress

As a result of concerns about the safety of traffic in the village expressed at a recent Parish Council meeting a group consisting of Parish Councillors, Borough Councillors and village residents has been formed and met to consider what actions we can take to improve safety on our roads in the village.  The aim is to produce a plan with a strategy for actions that will be adopted by the Parish Council and lead to residents feeling more safe as they move around the village.

The Parish Council approved a Traffic Safety Plan in September 2012 with the objective of dealing with such issues mainly in the area of the school.  After reviewing progress on this plan the new group hopes to have revised proposals to put to the village for consultation.

You can read the 2012 plan here but in brief the vision was:

The Parish Council has a vision for the future travel environment in the village where walking and cycling become the preferred modes of travel, that traffic levels and parking do not dominate our village and that the safety of adult and child pedestrians remains paramount.

The strategy for achieving the Aims and Objectives of this plan included:

  • Restricting parking.
  • Providing alternatives for parents.
  • Slowing traffic.
  • Improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Reinforcing the school travel plan.

Update on Measures Proposed

Measure

Progress

1. A “Build Out” in New Church Road from the footpath to Mumford Close. Not achieved due to objections from local residents but timed yellow line restriction from pathway instead.
2. “Built up Tables” at each end of New Church Road and School Lane. Not achieved due to objections but red patches painted in road.
3. Yellow zig-zag lines outside school to be extended as far as bend. Timed yellow line restriction added instead.
4. Improved signage on approaches to school. Achieved.
5. New footpath along the edge of Poors Land. Achieved.
6. Car Parks at Orpen Hall, Treble Tile and Church to be made more available for use by parents. Orpen Hall park improved and journey to school made safer at crossing with New Church Road.  Use of Treble Tile agreed and operated for a time but then withdrawn due to misuse by parents.
7. 20 MPH limit in New Church Road. Achieved with enhanced signage to follow.
8. Designated space for disabled parking on Lexden Road. Not achieved.
9. A “Park and Walk” scheme organised by parents. No known progress.
10. Parents who drive to school to be encouraged to operate a voluntary one way system in School Lane. No known progress.
11. The school to review its Travel Plan. Discussions between the school and Parish Council are ongoing.
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