A Keynsham councillor has highlighted concerns about proposals to extend the current 20mph speed limit on Charlton Road.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is proposing to introduce a 20mph speed limit from the existing 20 zone heading west for 396 metres.
The council is also consulting on a 40mph speed limit on the de-restricted speed limit of Charlton Road, as well as Woollard Lane, and Redlynch Lane, saying these roads are well used by horses, cyclists, and pedestrians and there are several bends with poor visibility.
Reducing the existing 30mph speed limit to 20mph is appropriate due to the residential nature of Charlton Road, and parents and pupils attending St Keyna Primary School will also benefit, says the council, which has launched a public consultation.
But Independent councillor for Keynsham South Alan Hale, who is the council’s member advocate for safer roads, has already raised concerns.
Councillor Hale is an academy member of Road Safety GB, was previously senior road safety officer for South Gloucestershire Council, chair of the West of England Road Safety Partnership, and has 20 years’ experience of police road motor patrol as an Advanced Class 1 driver and qualified advanced police driving instructor. He is currently a driving examiner for IAMRoadSmart.
Councillor Hale said: “Currently, the length of Charlton Road from High Street through to just south of Charlton Park junction is subject to a 20mph speed limit.
“Any observation or measurement will, I am sure, show that very few motorists drive at no more than 20mph, and many are in excess of the old 30mph.
“However, on this stretch, such a limit is justified due to the very narrow road width and the inferior and narrow pavements, which in places are dangerous.
“When the school crossing is being patrolled near Kelston Road and the wig-wags are flashing to show a 20 limit, observance is sporadic, despite the presence of the crossing patrol and the schools.
“It might be better to extend a full-time 20mph limit from the end of the existing limit through to the junction with Lockingwell Road. This would cover the school and the nursery.”
Councillor Hale said that beyond that junction, installing a 20mph limit will achieve “very little” because traffic frequently abuses the 30mph limit and reducing the limit to 20 will just mean there is more abuse.
He added: “I believe that those who endeavour to stick to the 20 limits will be subject to road rage and there will be those who will make dangerous overtaking manoeuvres; the road safety intention will be undermined.
“The fact that Avon and Somerset Police have virtually no road motor patrol capability means that the limit will be abused on the basis that being caught is highly unlikely.
“Equally, the speed detection team are extremely thinly spread, so again little or no attention will be paid to the enforcement of the proposed new limit. Consequently, its worth will be undermined.”
Councillor Hale said it would be “far better” to build a significant number of significant ‘build-outs’, making traffic slow down to negotiate and give way to vehicles coming the other way.
He said: “I believe that imposing a 20mph limit will give a false sense of safety to pedestrians, believing that traffic will be much slower moving, whereas a large majority of vehicles will be travelling well beyond the 20mph limit. I agree with the imposition of a 40mph limit as described.”
Councillor Duncan Hounsell (Saltford, Liberal Democrat) commented: “The junction of Redlynch Lane with Charlton Road is a notoriously difficult junction to navigate safely because of poor sight lines.
“The junction opposite is similarly dangerous, and that junction is the only significant way in and out of Queen Charlton village. There have been vehicular accidents on Charlton Road near this location and have been attributed at least in part to excessive speed.
“The proposal to reduce the speed limit on Redlynch Lane is welcomed but I wonder if that speed limit could be further reduced to 30mph in this rural lane.”
Objections and representations on the proposals must be submitted to the council by 11th December.
