20 MPH Proposed Chichester Speed Limit

[Candellara]

Had this ridiculous letter today citing a proposed 20 mph zone for the vast majority of all roads in Chichester.

For those of you that venture into Chichester, i urge you to challenge this with the following rational:

1, Should one not observe the current 30mph zone, it's unlikely you'd observe a 20 zone?
2, Signs as depicted by the Highway Code - School, Hospital, Elderly people already mean extra care should be taken and speed reduced accordingly?
3, West Sussex County Council "estimate" the cost of implementation to be £70k for signage etc. The cost of the mailshot alone to all Chichester residents will have been very substantial. This estimate is frankly ridiculous, at best and would be 10 fold in reality? To signpost and enforce a Chichester wide 20 zone whoever dreamt up a £70k budget should be removed from his or her post?
4, The roads around Chichester are in "appalling" condition with numerous potholes, road closures due to flooding. I cite College Lane as an example amongst many many others. Although owned by Interoute, the A27 is often down to one lane for flooding in many places (as WSCC cannot provide drainage due to costs) and often near inpassable near the MacDonalds roundabout - causing gridlock and a huge cost to business.
5, Chichester is mainly gridlocked at commuter hours anyhow
6, When will 20's Plenty turn into 10's too fast?
7, The issues surrounding Chichester road network i.e (Councils selling off carparks for building) have propogated massive issues for local businesses that need Council budget to resolve. There is currently hardly anywhere to park in Chichester. Surely the proposed 20mph scheme funds would be best directed into a "viable" park & ride facility?
8, They expect Sussex Police to enforce - with what dwindling resource? All speed guns are legally calibrated for 30mph speed infrigements unless i'm mistaken? and enforcement would require national recalibration?

And the reasons against go on and on and on. This will be coming to a town near you - for sure?

Another blatant waste of tax payers money and i propose that the individuals within West Sussex County Council that are propogating and pursuing this - should be removed from their post for wasting tax payers money? Are we or are we not supposed to be living in an age of austerity? This is frankly proposterous given the urgency of all the issues local communities currently face?

Please feel free to email your displeasure to: [e-mail] or provide views at www.westsussex.gov.uk or add to this thread if you visit Chichester, with your views and i will forward to the Council

Edited by Candellara on Monday 16th July 19:06

Edited by Candellara on Monday 16th July 19:08

Edited by Candellara on Monday 16th July 19:26

[mgbond]

I completely agree with you. The flooding is ridiculous around this way.

I have sent them an email referring to this link.

Martin

[Candellara]

mgbond said:

I completely agree with you. The flooding is ridiculous around this way.

I have sent them an email referring to this link.

Martin

Martin. Thanks for your comments.

Yet another demonstration of a badly thought out proposal? What a blatant waste of money yet again by WSCC. I'd relish a 1 to 1 with the brainchilds of this proposed utter waste of money. Absolute disgrace that the cost of the letter or the time of said individuals actually enabled it to happen IMO.

I'm not one to put pen to paper very often, but i find this despicable, keen motorist or not.

Don't get me wrong, i'm all for safety but, the fact that this has even got to the costs of consultation - is just unbelievable given the circumstances, economic or otherwise that surround it. Again, i re-iterate, the person responsible - should be fired?

Edited by Candellara on Monday 16th July 19:38

[Hoonigan]

Candellara said:

Martin. Thanks for your comments.

Yet another demonstration of a badly thought out proposal? What a blatant waste of money yet again by WSCC. I'd relish a 1 to 1 with the brainchilds of this proposed utter waste of money. Absolute disgrace that the cost of the letter or the time of said individuals actually enabled it to happen IMO.

I'm not one to put pen to paper very often, but i find this despicable, keen motorist or not.

Don't get me wrong, i'm all for safety but, the fact that this has even got to the costs of consultation - is just unbelievable given the circumstances, economic or otherwise that surround it. Again, i re-iterate, the person responsible - should be fired?

Edited by Candellara on Monday 16th July 19:38

Here ya go have a look at this: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/ could be worth a go?

[Candellara]

Hoonigan said:

Here ya go have a look at this: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/ could be worth a go?

Unfortunately i don't think it'd reach a 100k signatures. I'd urge you to voice your opinion directly to the email address in the 1st post.

Contrary to published material. Regulated speed i.e The UK's published speed limits, isn't the largest contributer to death's on UK roads. What is however....is judgement and distraction.

Distractions such as mobile phones, Ipods and lack of "awareness and judgement" caused in part by lack of driver training are the key contributers to accidents on UK roads - FACT

Sticking a band aid such as a 20 mph zone purely masks the problem. Reduce the speed to 5mph and rigourously enforce it will reduce accidents. However, it is not the root issue. Modern cars and good judgement / awareness and the roads are a relatively safe place to be.

Pure common sense. Unfortunately we need to pay large amounts of money to someone to deliberate simple common sense at WSCC.

Edited by Candellara on Monday 16th July 21:09

[Fuzzy72]

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/business/local-bu...

You should show this article to Chichester City Council and see what they've got to say then!

[HiHoSilverSLK]

If the council get the green light on this idiotic proposal they will spend a fortune changing the specified roads to incorporate chicanes, red road surfaces, speed humps and dozens of signs. Any excuse to lash out the cash on stupid schemes and this bunch are on to it. They'd do better to attend to a town councils core duties and forget about being Chichester's commercial manager (fk up the Butter Market, tourist attraction builder and operator (new museum bks)and car park operations money generator thieving bds.

Dig a bloody ditch and soak-away on the by-pass to drain the puddles, fix the pucking awful dangerous paving in the town centre and stop interfering with our lives.

[toerag]

and a year on...

..it seems the speed limit in our 50m long Cul-de-sac is now 20mph, which they've thoughtfully celebrated with two huge 20mph signs painted in the middle of the road. CDDC > gtfo.

[Hoonigan]

toerag said:

and a year on...

..it seems the speed limit in our 50m long Cul-de-sac is now 20mph, which they've thoughtfully celebrated with two huge 20mph signs painted in the middle of the road. CDDC > gtfo.

Yup got one outside my house too, if you had posted yesterday I would have said what a waste of money why not fill the fking pot holes in but just just arrived home from Goodwood to see they have Still a waste of money though and a limit that no one seems to obey.
I blame all the do gooders round our way that had the posters up in their windows, including our neighbours opposite who then proceeded to be pissed off that they had the bloody great big twenty sign painted out side their house karma I guess....

What road you on?

[tescorank]

Brighton with it's green party has the same, lovely new flashing led 20mph signs and painted on roads everwhere...just nobody takes any notice of it.

[alfaspecial]

Having just driven to and from the Moving Motor Show via Chichester I thought they had already implemented a 5mph speed limit.

[Diderot]

toerag said:

and a year on...

..it seems the speed limit in our 50m long Cul-de-sac is now 20mph, which they've thoughtfully celebrated with two huge 20mph signs painted in the middle of the road. CDDC > gtfo.

Same here. Madness. We have a sign post too. And they've been replacing all the perfectly good street lights with new ones. Where's all the money coming from? Oh yes the extortionate cil tax they bum us for every month.

[Dogwatch]

tescorank said:

Brighton with it's green party has the same, lovely new flashing led 20mph signs and painted on roads everwhere...just nobody takes any notice of it.

I have to drive from Worthing to East Brighton (RSCH) daily for seven weeks. I think some of my journey goes through a 20 zone but there's so much clutter and traffic that I really don't know when, or even if, I'm in or out of it.
I don't use residential backstreets btw.

[m8rky]

Don't get me started,I am sure tackling the appalling parking outside most of the schools by the very same "school run mums" that advocate the 20mph limit would be a bigger contribution to road safety.

Let alone parking on pavements and overgrowth of plants on to pavements forcing pedestrians on to the road.But no it must be those motorists doing 30 that are a greater risk.

I had to laugh at one of the people behind this,she wanted to "reclaim the streets" It's Chichester not the bronx you stupid cow.

[Terminator X]

It's a 20 zone in our resi street and I don't remember being asked if it was ok to alter it from a 30! You're lucky to get the chance to object imho.

TX.

Edited by Terminator X on Friday 12th July 17:30

[Candellara]

TBH, i don't think the scheme has worked at all. From what i've noticed, traffic speed has probably increased due to the fact that people don't like things being forced upon them.

Haven't seen a single speed gun, speed i would say has increased in our residential area and there's alot of discussion locally now about the legality of the signage and enforcement of the limit.

The residents that actually voted for the scheme were of course the minority and part of the 20's plenty brigade and now the scheme has been implemented, the majority are incensed at the nannying rather than using there own common sense with regards to "safe" speed limits

Try imposing a 50mph limit on our motorways and see what the real world impact is on speed? Very little i would guess? The Germans have got it right IMO. Variable limits according to road conditions, conjestion & time of day

[Candellara]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/a...

[m8rky]

As I understand it the signage etc was circa £70k so that would have paid for a couple of Policeman or Safety camera operators to enforce the already adequate 30 limit.
Or some Parking officers to dish out tickets to all the dangerously parked school run mums.

[Hoonigan]

m8rky said:

As I understand it the signage etc was circa £70k so that would have paid for a couple of Policeman to dish out tickets to all the dangerously parked school run mums.

This, our estate is a nightmare during school drop off times...

[m8rky]

My parents are Worcester Road area,just checked your profile name seems familiar,related to Ted? think he was an aquaintance of my fathers.