New Speeding & Parking Initiative

Following the recent Traffic Safety Group meeting, a new initiative has been launched to help reduce parking & speeding issues in and around West Bergholt. Based on a free community safety App, Trygve, users can share and receive local incident information in real time. This information can be as detailed as you want including pictures and GPS location but should always include:

Date.
Time.
Where (did it happen).
What (was the issue).

Using the App will allow the group to measure the number of incidents and identify hot spots.

Already in use in many communities in the UK, a Neighbourhood watch coordinator using it in his community has said:

The app has not only been good at creating a community, but we have also been able to help with a few incidents of anti-social behaviour and thefts, by being able to pass more information onto police. It can help map any crime trends, and make users aware of areas they may want to be more alert.

It is an easier and quicker way for the community to communicate with each other as Facebook is not as instant as this app, nor can it use GPS as accurately. I am proud to co-ordinate our group and use my skills from my job to share more safety tips.

You can download Trygve to Android or iPhone devices; there is also a mobile friendly web-version for other mobiles and devices.

September 9, 2016September 10, 2016

Traffic 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.

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

Speedwatch – 2015 new speeds?

Speedwatch – How, What & Why

The following update has been provided by Anthony Robins, local Speedwatch Coordinator, to provide an insight into, inter alia, the How, What and Why of the work Speedwatch volunteers do.

Many people, including myself, have been concerned about the number of speeding vehicles in the area, so a few of us have been trained by Essex Police, and we go to approved sites, with a radar speed gun, and pass on details of speeding motorists we observe to the Police.

How: The radar gun works on the Doppler Effect and is regularly checked for accuracy. Initially the Police just send a polite letter, with the details of the time and place and speed, asking the motorist to obey the speed limits in future.

Why: It is not our aim to raise money, or to prosecute but to get all to obey the speed limits. We are all motorists ourselves and our aim is to make the roads safer for all to use.

We know that some motorists resent our doing this, and even some regular road users like taxi drivers have been offensive. They should realise that, especially in an urban environment, keeping ones maximum speed within the speed limit, only adds very little to the total journey time. Being stuck in traffic because some other motorist has caused an incident adds significantly to many people’s journey time.

Some will claim that speed does not cause accidents, however on the roads higher speeds give one less time to react to incidents, even to the errors of others! It is better to give a few seconds to allow for someone else’s error, than to have a collision and to spend months sorting out the consequences.
John Gili-Ross, local Speedwatch volunteer

What: When we do our sessions, we have warning signs and have to wear High Visibility clothing. Many motorists do see this, and slow down accordingly, but some do not. If they are unable to see us, then they are unlikely to see other hazards.

The braking distance increases with the square of the speed, which means that travelling at double the speed, quadruples ones braking distance. When the thinking distance is taken into account, the Highway Code gives total stopping distances of 75 ft (23 metres) at 30 mph; 96ft (29 m) at 35 mph; and 120 ft (36 m) at 40 mph. That extra 24 feet could make the difference between hitting another car or pedestrian, and avoiding them.

When we do our sessions, pedestrians often complain to us about the excessive speed of some vehicles in both villages, many quoting 50 and even 60 mph. It is possible that some may be exaggerated, and it is not always easy to judge speeds. Most HGVs we see are within the limit, but they appear faster, and with narrow pavements (if any pavement at all) the turbulence they create can be intimidating to pedestrians.

HGVs and Farm Traffic – effect of local road closures

Because Baker’s Lane has been closed a lot more traffic is using our villages to get from, say, Braiswick to the A12. Nothing wrong with this, of course, but they should obey the law. Argent’s Lane is especially more busy. With a National speed limit of 60mph, few if any exceed this, but it is nevertheless dangerous, as in some places it is impossible for two cars to pass.

The route also regularly sees large farm vehicles, some with dangerous spikes on the front, and some articulated HGVs. It is not illegal for them to use this route, but if they turn to go over the river bridge, then they are breaking the law, as there is a 7 tonne limit. Nevertheless it is extremely foolish to use the route, as if two were to meet it could be very difficult to resolve, as almost certainly a line of cars would quickly build up behind both vehicles.

Contact Us

If others are concerned about these issues and would like to join us, then please contact Anthony C Robin, E-mail [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].

June 16, 2014October 12, 2014

Reflections on Speeding

Anthony Robin, local Speedwatch volunteer for West Bergholt & Eight Ash Green, is passionate about the need for drivers to cut speeding, but in making his regular report and call for volunteers, his thoughts wandered into some historic and other directions related to speed. The following is the result of this little distraction:

Road sign indicating towards the old A406 route — Road sign still indicating towards the old A406 route © A C Robin

When I came to live in Eight Ash Green, over 30 years ago, the main road through the village was called the A604. The large green route signs labelled it as so, with the destination Cambridge marked, and if I remember correctly, the distance given was 49 miles. Originally the A604 had run all the way from Harwich to Kettering. In fact the 6 at the front suggests it does not belong to this sector of the country, but the sector between the A6 (London-Holyhead) and the A1 (London-Edinburgh). Our sector roads start with a one.

To try to reduce the through traffic the authorities, relabelled the road, and whilst the route still exists it has different numbers for different sections. Our local section, between Colchester and Halstead is labelled A1124, the next section to Haverhill is A1017, and the section between Haverhill and Cambridge is A1307. The through traffic is signposted either A12 & A14 via Ipswich, or A120 and M11 via Stanstead.

Nevertheless this route is a lot shorter, and so for slow traffic is quicker, so many lorries still use this route. In fact my SatNav suggests I use the ‘A604’ route to get to Addenbrookes Hospital, and the A120/M11 route to Cambridge centre. The authorities also changed the speed limit through all the villages on our route from 40 to 30 mph.

Despite these changes, a few months ago, I noticed that one sign on the “South Circular” between Kent Blaxill and the Leather Bottle was still directing traffic to Cambridge along this route (see picture above). It was misleading, because there are no follow on signs for Cambridge.

Roadside 'graves' in France — Roadside ‘graves’ in France © A C Robin

The A1307 section is in Cambridgeshire, and there are large notices saying that the route is dangerous, saying high speed collisions kill and asking motorists to slow down. There are also several “graves” on this section of the road. No one is actually buried there, of course, but there are flowers and gravestones and even pictures of people who have been killed nearby.

In France it is official policy to put signs up as shown right, although the actual style varies in the different Departments. This particular one shows where 5 teenagers were killed. It certainly pulls no punches! Should we be doing this in the UK? Does it make people realise the dangers of the roads, or does it even distract motorists making other accidents more likely?

To try to make local motorists obey the speed limit in our villages, both on the A 1124, B 1508 and elsewhere, a few of us regularly go out with a radar gun, and report offenders to the police. The project is called Speedwatch, and other groups go out in other parts of the County. Other Counties are involved with similar schemes.

If you would be interested in joining us, please contact me.

Anthony C Robin 01206 571910, [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]

Postscript

This news update was posted to our Facebook page where a reader provided this further insight into the politics of road naming:

At the time of the route re numbering I was a member of Castle Hedingham Parish Council. ECC proposed that the road from Braintree Corner, Sible Hedingham, and Halstead High Street be downgraded to B road status (in order to further reduce the chances of drivers seeing the old A604 as a viable through road). There were various objections (you can probably guess from whom) on the grounds that if Halstead were no longer a crossroads of two A roads it would lose some of it’s status. This from people who continue to campaign for measures to reduce traffic through Halstead…. Simon Daw

April 24, 2014April 24, 2014

March Speed Watch Update

The West Bergholt & Eight Ash Green Speed Watch team remains one of the most active in the county; with 78 groups in total only 7 undertook more speed checks in March. Across the county as whole there were 147 speed checks (up from 99 in February), which resulted in 1,129 first warning letters, 77 second warnings and 24 being processed for further action being either a visit from an officer or specific enforcement.

Essex Police are always actively trying to clamp down on speeding drivers and they have a dedicated web page where you can see details of recent speed checks undertaken by police officers as well as the location of Community Speed Watch groups throughout the county – http://www.essex.police.uk/be_safe/speeding.aspx. Essex Highways also maintain a mapping system where you can find details of accidents, speed cameras etc… at http://www.essexworkstraffweb.org.uk/main.html.

If you are interested in finding out more about the local Speed Watch group, perhaps you would like to join them, please contact Anthony Robin by phone on (01206) 571910 or email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]. An earlier post on this site also has more information – speed watch campaign.

March 15, 2014October 12, 2014

Speed Watch team one of most active

The local Community Speed Watch team help keep our roads safe.

Of 61 Speed Watch groups in Essex, the West Bergholt/Eight Ash Green speed watch team remains one of the most active (joint 5th) with 6 speed checks undertaken in February. Between them the groups managed over 90 checks last month resulting in 853 first warning letters being sent, 58 second warning letters and 15 requiring further action which will either be a visit from an officer or targeted enforcement; since January 2013 there have been over 29,000 offenders that have attended a speed awareness course.

If you would like to find out more about where Speed Checks take place from time-to-time, then you should check out the following link which will take you to the Essex Police website where you will be able to view the speed checks that have taken place in your area or nearby – http://www.essex.police.uk/be_safe/speeding.aspx.

The full Community Speed Watch report for February can be downloaded from here:

Community Speed Watch newsletter February 2014

February 26, 2014October 12, 2014

Speedwatch – Surround a Town

Community Speedwatch targeting speeding in our community — Local Community Speedwatch volunteers were involved in the recent Surround a Town event.

Community Wheels Truck — The Community Wheels truck joined Speedwatch teams and others in raising speeding awareness

Essex Highways, Essex Police, Essex Fire & Rescue and local Speedwatch groups joined forces on 5th February with a crack down on speeding motorists. The results saw a substantial number of interventions including:

Road Safety staff gave advice and showed education videos to 81 offenders at enforcement sites.
400+ people on the “community wheels truck” outside the Town Hall with road safety staff and staff from the fire brigade giving advice.
32 drivers were recorded travelling over 36 mph in Langenhoe, Peldon and West Bergolt by Community Speedwatch.
13 speeding drivers spoken to by school children at a child speed watch event outside a school in Colchester.

Other activities included:

year six walks conducted by road safety staff to highlight the dangers on the road to year six students.
road safety staff in a college to engage with over 50 students about road safety issues.
the north Essex parking partnership were patrolling schools to raise awareness of the dangers arising from poor parking outside schools.

Look out for future similar events.

January 10, 2014October 12, 2014

December Speed & Crime Update

Community Speed Watch

With 56 Community Speed Watch groups in Essex undertaking 45 speed check sessions in December (3 of them in the West Bergholt/Eight Ash Green Area), Essex Police have reported statistics as follows:

766 1st warning letters issued,
57 2nd warning letters,
5 incidents which will result in either a police visit or specific enforcement action.

Last Sunday a regular police speed check was also carried out in the village and they stopped one driver for speeding (40ish) who was also twice over the legal drink drive limit.

Crime Update

Definitely a case of no news being good news. The regular Crime Report issued by the Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer, covering ‘beats’ in and around Colchester over the Christmas/New Year period, ran to 41 pages (roughly 250 incidents) covering events such as Assault, Criminal Damage, Burglary, Theft etc… Fortunately not one took place in West Bergholt!

December 16, 2013

Speed Watch & Crime updates, Xmas precautions

Speed Watch News

Throughout the Colchester area Community Speed Watch Checks resulted in:

1,120 first warnings,
70 second warnings, and
10 requiring further action (officer visits and possible enforcement).

The West Bergholt Speed Watch team undertook the 10th highest number of speed checks out of the 60 teams and will have contributed much to those numbers.

Mick Green of Essex Police’s Casualty Reduction section, further reported to the Speed watch groups:

BRAKE week was a great success and I can’t thank you enough for all your effort during the week despite the rain! 53 groups were visited, if you were not one of them then I can only apologise I understand that demand was greater than the officers available, but on that note our new Community Engagement Sergeant Graham Freeman will be tasking his Community Officers with arranging more CSW visits in the new year.

The Casualty Reduction section are trialling a new speed detection laser that records the offence which is then processed in the back office the offender then receives the details in the post. This device is capable of detecting hundreds of offences per hour and is now being used to great effect.

December’s activity is largely around drink and drug driving offences as we move towards the Christmas period, if you know of a regular drink driver or pick up any information we would love to hear from you, information will of course be treated in the strictest confidence.

Adam Pipe the Casualty Reduction Section manager continues to forward information via Twitter if you want to receive these tweets then log on and connect with him.

Crime Update

The Essex Watch Liaison Officer has reported on crimes committed between 9th to 15th December including one local crime, and offers a range of ‘Festive Security Tips’.

New Church Road

This “Burglary in a building other than a dwelling” took place between late afternoon on 6th & early morning on 9th December. Suspects unknown have gained entry to secure class room by forcing the door, no search made, property removed from within.

Festive Security Tips

With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, you are probably in the process of buying presents and stocking up on supplies for the festive season. However, at this time of year rich pickings can be found.

We want you to be able to relax and enjoy the festive season, so here are some useful tips to ensure that you don’t become a victim to an opportunist thief.

Make sure gifts and valuables, wrapped and unwrapped, are out of view and not visible from any windows. This applies in the car as well as in the home.
Photograph valuable property and log any serial numbers. Don’t store the information on a laptop, as that might be stolen too – keep it on a memory stick in a safe place.
Don’t put gift packaging out for recycling or leave it sticking out of your bin – thieves will notice boxes for branded products like laptops, TVs or accessories that could indicate an expensive piece of kit somewhere in the house. The safest thing to do is to break down any cardboard boxes or fold them inside out so that you cannot see the branding. You can then store them out of sight inside your home until you can dispose of them at a local recycling site.
Mark any expensive gifts you receive for Christmas with a UV pen or property marking service. This will make it harder for burglars to sell the items and allow police to return them to you. Call your local policing team on 101 for advice about property marking products. You can register your property with www.immobilise.com which is endorsed by a number of police forces.
Lock all doors and windows, leave a light on and draw the curtains when you go out at night. Keep your doors and windows locked from the inside even when you are inside your home.
Visible burglar alarms, exterior security lighting, timer lighting switches and leaving the radio on help to deter thieves and give the impression that somebody is at home.
Bolt and padlock garden gates and make sure you don’t leave ladders out, or other things that burglars could easily use to climb on. Remember to lock your garden shed and store your tools inside; it stops burglars using your tools to break into your house. Consider fitting extra padlocks to gates, sheds and garages. Don’t keep presents in the garage or shed.

If you’re going away, we always recommend asking a trusted neighbour to pop in to your home every now and then to turn the lights on and off, draw the curtains, collect the mail and make the house look occupied. It goes without saying, make sure everything is properly locked up before you leave and the burglar alarm – if you have one – is set. We advise cancelling your newspapers, magazines and milk deliveries. We also recommend that you don’t advertise the fact you are away from your home on Social Networking sites – thieves use Social Media too!

You don’t have to be a member of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme to be a good neighbour, and even if you don’t have much contact with your neighbours, Christmas could be the perfect time to break the ice, have a friendly chat and get to know them a bit better.

Burglars wander around looking for chances. The best opportunity for the police to catch them in the act is for you to spot them before they break in. Wherever you live, remain vigilant and if you see anything suspicious, call 999 immediately. You can also call 101 to contact your police in a non-emergency situation.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has also produced a guide on how to keep safe during the Festive season, which can be viewed and downloaded here:

http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/resource_centre/document_library/festive_season_safety/

December 4, 2013December 4, 2013

Drink Driving & other Xmas crimes?

Drink Driving

Adam Pipe, the Casualty Reduction Manager at Essex Police is asking all Speedwatch groups, and other community-minded folks, for any support they can give to the Xmas drink driving campaign. Such support is always much appreciated and could help save lives. He says:

We always look to the support of the community in providing us with intelligence relating to possible known drink drivers within your communities and this information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

As always you can stay in touch with our daily operations via following my Twitter page @EPAdamPipe.

As their poster cautions – drink-driving can have devastating consequences, don’t take the chance, make sure you arrange your lift home in advance.

Seasonal Fraud On-line

Criminals are always present in our lives and Christmas is no exception. The City of London Police recently issued a document detailing 12 top seasonal frauds being conducted on-line and how to protect yourself from them:

Shopping On-line? Beware bogus shopping sites – some may have nothing to deliver, others are shifting counterfeit goods;
Auction Sites are safe aren’t they? Only if used in the safest way and using trusted sellers.
Email links and attachments? Click them at your peril
Booking a holiday? If the price seems too good to be true it probably is.
E-card or e-virus? Many e-cards are safe – but not all are!
Social network special gifts & offers? Often just trying to capture personal data with nothing to offer at all.
It’s good to give to charity isn’t it? Of course it is – but make sure it is a legitimate on-line donation.
Paying on-line for presents and services? Safe only as long as you take precautions.
Transfer the money now to secure your purchase? Despite the financial institution involved, the ‘seller’ might be running a scam.
Voucher codes are good news? Possibly, but open to fraud as criminals spread ‘ransomware’ viruses.
Must-see event and cheap tickets? They might only be cheap because they don’t exist.
Paying with your mobile? Highly convenient but subject to hacking if not careful.

Read more about how you can protect yourself in 12 Online Frauds of Christmas.