Warning - Aspects - Longwell Green - Siston Lane

[scrumpy]

A mate of mine went to a parish council meeting yesterday. The place was full of people who live on and around the Siston Lane area. They are demanding speed limits of 30mph and restricted access because of inconsiderate drivers driving too fast for the conditions and without due regard for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians. Somebody mentioned that there was a regular Pistonheads meeting on Wednesdays at the Aspects Leisure Park and that people from there drive a timed lap along Siston Lane and back to Aspects. The local plod were there and said they were now aware and will be taking an interest, possibly pulling people over to check the cars. It may not even be PH but if you know anyone involved please remind them to drive sensibly and lawfully a all times, with due regard for the well being of other road users. I use this road every day and know that even though the NSL (60mph) applies, anything over 40 mph is not sensible or safe.

[rs1952]

This latest noise from residents may have something to do with the Speed Limit Review, where 40 limits were proposed for the road from Bridgeyate Griffin through Siston to the Pucklechurch Road junction, and also the road across Webbs Heath towards Carsons Road.

The consultation period ended in June last year (IIRC) with the results of that consultation supposed to be published last November (2010)

Everything went quiet, and I can only presume that the whole thing got caught up with the spending cuts and was either shelved or postponed.

I use these roads regularly (well, Bridgeyate to Carsons Road more than through Siston village) and it struck me that the proposed limits were fecking stupid for a number of reasons:

1. As you say, there aren't many sections where you can exceed 40 anyway. That doesn't mean you need to put a legal limit on it, any more than you need to put a 20 limit on a hairpin bend in an NSL section of road. In fact, if anything, its a reason why you shouldn't bother, because the topography of the road will limit speed naturally.

2. Few people in practice rarely exceed 40 anyway, and those that do (as I said above) are slowed down by the topography of the road.

3. The fact that so few people exceed 40 anyway means that nobody would ever bother enforcing such a limit - the "pickings" in FPNs wouldn't be good enough

4. All this being the case, sticking the limit signs up (with repeaters required, because the road is unlit) would be simply a waste of money. It wouldn't actually improve the visual environment in the area either, with all this additional junk turning the area into an eyesore.

edited to put place names right - on my first go I managed to call Webbs Heath Goose Green

Edited by rs1952 on Saturday 26th November 17:16

[scrumpy]

I completely agree with all you say. It only needs a few nuttters to try blasting down the short straights and frightening the locals - who appear to have genuine concerns for their own safety, to get the ball rolling with local councilors jumping on the bandwaggon to justify their positions.

[rs1952]

Oh - and incidentally:

scrumpy said:

A mate of mine went to a parish council meeting yesterday. The place was full of people who live on and around the Siston Lane area. They are demanding speed limits of 30mph and restricted access

They haven't got a cat in hell's cance of either. The Speed Limit Review recommended no lower than 40, and restricted access on a route that leads, amongst other things, to the local recycling centre?

scrumpy said:

The local plod were there and said they were now aware and will be taking an interest, possibly pulling people over to check the cars.

Hmmmmm ..... What Plod say they'll do to shut up the NIMBYs at a Council meeting, and what they'll actually do given limited resources and budget cuts, may be something else entirely

That said, a couple of months ago a motor cycle Plod was up on the cycle track at Mangotsfield station trying to catch a kid on a mini bike. Don't think he actually managed to fulfil his quest, though

[AngryApples]

I dont believe for a moment it's PH members

Let's face it, we tend to leave "timed laps round built up areas" for the lax power brigade (as witnessed at previous Cheddar meets)

Dissapointing that soomeone has managed to smear the good name (I'm not saying we dont get the odd idiot on here, just cant see an organised group of timed laps happening anywhere but a circuit/airfield)

[LordGrover]

I use this route every working day and use the gym at Aspects, Longwell Green. I've never seen any PHers at Aspects, except Bill, but he's not exactly what first comes to mind when thinking of boy racers. He's moved away anyway.
There is a motoring club who meet monthly at the Griffin - I think it's hot rods though so unlikely to be hooning on public roads.

FTR, I don't drive excessively fast or dangerously.

[Bill]

:sulks:

[Steve Reade]

I was at the meeting at Siston and got the feeling that the locals are truely scared of the speeding traffic. The comments wer'nt just made about the PHs but about other users as well.

I'm not a fan of road side clutter and another suggestion was to introduce calming on those stretches where excessive speed is possible.

I drive a old Series III Landrover - so you know how fast I can go.

P.S. I'm one of the South Glos Councillors (not the one sat at the front) but the one from Boyd Valley.

[rs1952]

Steve Reade said:

I was at the meeting at Siston and got the feeling that the locals are truely scared of the speeding traffic. The comments wer'nt just made about the PHs but about other users as well.

I'm not a fan of road side clutter and another suggestion was to introduce calming on those stretches where excessive speed is possible.

I drive a old Series III Landrover - so you know how fast I can go.

P.S. I'm one of the South Glos Councillors (not the one sat at the front) but the one from Boyd Valley.

What the locals are scared of and what actually constitutes a danger are two different things.

As you will know, and as I've already said earlier, there are natural traffic calming features on this road. Going north from Bridgeyate, it would theoretically possible to get up to about 50 before the junction at Webbs Heath, but rarely likely given that the majority of traffic turns left over Webbs Heath anyway. And in any case there is limited development adjacent to the road (five houses actually fronting the road from looking at Google Maps, and a pavement all the way on this section).

Beyond the junction there is about 200 yards of reasonably straight road (once again with a pavement for most of the way) before you get to a double bend which once again slows traffic, and beyond there to Siston you have a couple of bends before you get to a single track bridge, and then the 90 degree bends through Siston Village itself.

Crossing Webbs Heath towards Carsons Road, once again you have a couple of hundered yards on which it is possible (theoretically) to get up to 50 or so, with no development adjoining the road, before the double bends at Brook Farm slow things down again. Beyond that, the road is not wide enough for two cars to pass at speed, and there is of course another quite sharp bend half way between Brook Farm and Carsons Road junction.

Then factor in the fact that a lot of road users already appear to think its 30 or 40 anyway, and the fact there is nowhere on the road where a really safe overtake is possible, so this will also slow traffic down.

Methinks the locals doth protest too much

[Mon Ami Mate]

I'm in the unusual position of being a PH'r and a local - I live just off Bridgeyate common. Aside from also owning a Series III Land Rover and standing (unsuccessfully) in the last local elections, I also walk my dogs at Webbs Heath and at Overscourt Woods (a mile up the road towards Pucklechurch) at least once a day. I've seen some extraordinarily stupid driving along here, almost all of it committed by women in soft roaders and prople carriers, but also with regular appearances from spotty yoofs in chavmobiles. The road is quite windy and has no pavements or verges. It's heavilu used by dogwalkers and equestrians. I'd be surprised if any PH'r is guilty of this sort of stupid behaviour.

[rs1952]

Mon Ami Mate said:

I've seen some extraordinarily stupid driving along here, almost all of it committed by women in soft roaders and prople carriers, but also with regular appearances from spotty yoofs in chavmobiles.

You don't say whether or not you agree with the locals and their "demands"

However, any ideas how a speed limit will stop stupid driving and/ or chavmobiles doing what they've always done?

This is of ourse is the crux of the issue. "We've got a problem. The answer is a speed limit. Whassat? The speed limit won't change anything? Oh, never mind, better have the speed limit anyway then"

Repeat umpteen thousand times around the country and you've got the pigs ear of an apology for a policy for speed limit setting that we have in this country

[Mon Ami Mate]

rs1952 said:

You don't say whether or not you agree with the locals and their "demands"

However, any ideas how a speed limit will stop stupid driving and/ or chavmobiles doing what they've always done?

This is of ourse is the crux of the issue. "We've got a problem. The answer is a speed limit. Whassat? The speed limit won't change anything? Oh, never mind, better have the speed limit anyway then"

Repeat umpteen thousand times around the country and you've got the pigs ear of an apology for a policy for speed limit setting that we have in this country

I understand why the locals are upset. There is definitely a problem. However I don't think that lowering the speed limit will make a blind bit of difference. Idiots and incompetents will remain idiots and incompetents, regardless of the number on the end of the stick.

[Mon Ami Mate]

Incidentally, this took place on Friday in the car park at Overscourt Woods, which is halfway along this road.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Seems like the local council are a bunch of stick-in-the-muds...

This is how we usually travel up there.

Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Monday 5th December 12:37

[Smart Mart]

Hadn't realised that so many of you lived around here. I use that road most days as I live in Oldland Common and I don't think I've ever approached 50mph along there although that might be down to the fact that I drive a Focus estate.

[RemaL]

Hanham here