| Thank you for your ePetition, expressing your concerns about speeding on the Bramfield Road. Each year the County Council receives many similar requests, however there are limited resources. To achieve the best value from our limited funds we have to prioritise initiatives that will be taken forward. Focus is given to those areas where existing serious injury accidents for example can be readily mitigated through engineering measures that provide best value for money and provide a measurable level of success.Any request for changes to the speed limit is assessed against the Council’s Speed Management Strategy (SMS) and the hazardous sites list. Proposals for a 20 mph limit and any associated mitigation measures required are also ranked against other requests from across the county. I have reviewed your request against existing collision data available, considered the requirements against the SMS and sought advice from Hertfordshire Constabulary. Unfortunately, your request would not meet the requirements for a number of criteria when setting speed limits:Collision data for the last 5 years does not suggest a pattern of excess speed related to road traffic accidents. A history of injury collisions with speed related contributory factors would be a further consideration for any speed limit change.f a 20 mph speed restriction were introduced, it would have to be self-enforcing. The Police have indicated that they could not be relied upon to enforce such a restriction.The Council’s hazardous sites list was reviewed in June 2017, taking into account personal injury collisions that occurred up to the end of December 2017. This section of Bramfield Road was not identified within this list and thus is not included within our investigation programme. Data from any recent incidents will be updated and taken into consideration when the hazardous sites list is next reviewed in 2018. Whilst local safety concerns are understandable, you will appreciate that the limited funding is directed to sites where work has the greatest potential to reduce the frequency and severity of personal injury collisions.Therefore a change in speed limit is unlikely at this point in time, however we will of course review any evidence of a change in driver behaviour and I will ask that Council officers raise your concerns with your local highways county councillor, for their information.Further information on the Council’s approach to speed management can be found in the SMS, accessed using this link to our website .This document also includes information on the Police role in responding to speed related enquiries. I trust this is of assistance and again thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.Kind RegardsTrevor BrennanStrategy & Programme Manager, East Herts & Broxbourne Hertfordshire County Council, County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford, SG13 8DNT: 0300 123 40471 |