Do road speed consultations count for anything?

[PhilboSE]

Round my way I’ve become aware of some proposed speed changes to some local roads. All down (duh), NSL down to 30/40, 40 to 20 and so on. One that would affect a route I commonly take is plainly ridiculous.

I’ve looked at the documents and the reasons stated seem pretty thin; on one the “parish council” has proposed the change and on another “a councillor” has suggested it. I have my own views on parish councils, and how local this councillor may live to the road he is so keen on dropping from a 40 to a 20…

The documents give the impression that these reductions are a done deal, but they state that “by Law” they are required to run a public consultation. I’ve managed to find the relevant web page (not particularly well signposted) and registered my objection.

My question (yes there is one!) is: do these consultations count for anything? What if all respondees object, will it still go ahead regardless? What thresholds exist for these consultations to actually change what seems a predetermined outcome?

[skyebear]

Do road speed consultations count for anything?

Didn't the The Thick of It deal with this subject and that you don't ask the public anything as they're "bloody awful".

[snuffy]

If the consultation results agree with the council then they will use it to reinforce their decision.

If the consultation result does not agree with the council then they will simply state those who took part are too stupid to understand the question and therefore the result will be disregarded.

[Simpo Two]

We have a parish councillor who promotes lower speed limits to get votes. He will say things like 'Six people have complained that cars go too fast...' and other half-baked gibberish. So I wrote a letter to the County Council pointing out the flaws in his half-baked gibberish - that was over a year ago and so far the limits haven't been changed.

Freedom for Tooting!

[Billy_Rosewood]

Law says you are required to hold a consultation, but doesn't say you have to do anything about the result. Lesson learnt from the ULEZ expansion.

[E-bmw]

PhilboSE said:

Round my way I’ve become aware of some proposed speed changes to some local roads. All down (duh), NSL down to 30/40, 40 to 20 and so on. One that would affect a route I commonly take is plainly ridiculous.

I am not defending the decision & have no insight into your particular area of discussion, but some have just changed near me that may be similar.

They look ridiculous when you see them, but they have been done because of house building work that means that a longer stretch of 30 has been added to cover it's completion.

All I am saying is that some make more sense when you look at "the other side" of the argument.

[rscott]

The most a Parish Council can do is ask the local Highways department to consider a speed limit change. If it meets the Highways criteria for one, then they'll start a consultation.

So a PC alone has very little power to actually change anything.

[blueST]

Not speed, but I responded to consultation on the redesign of a local junction for safety reasons. The proposal was a foolish idea that would have caused chaos. The council listened and scrapped the idea.