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.
Do you know their drivers, they might like to know that they are being watched? The Village Road Safety Group continues to explore ways to reduce illegal and dangerous parking and speeding in our community. The Special Constable Continue reading “Do You Know These Cars? They all parked illegally.”
Did you get a new GoPro or Dash Cam for Christmas?
A GoPro or Dash Cam could go a long way to help Road Safety in the village and elsewhere under a new scheme. The Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) is encouraging road users to submit footage showing dangerous road user behaviour. This is part of a new campaign to make the region’s roads safer for everyone. Continue reading “New GoPro or DashCam for Xmas?”
Santas Elves who use the app “trygve”, have been busy collecting pictures of those naughty boys and girls who are parking illegally in our Village! Let’s hope these inconsiderate drivers make a new years resolution to park less dangerously in 2018. Continue reading “Santa’s Naughty List?”
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:
Find out more
To find out more, or to volunteer, please contact Harry Stone (Parish Councillor):
A burning issue on many folk’s minds right now is parking – in particular near the village shop and school. In order to maintain safety for pedestrians, and other road users, markings on the road and signs on lampposts are intended to give clarity. This isn’t about convenience, it is about Continue reading “Traffic Safety Update – Parking Edition”
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
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
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.
Engage the community
Encourage good driving and parking
Educate all sections of the community
Enforce the regulations
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
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]”].
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.
