Councillor denies Park Farm residents and businesses the right to object to proposed draconian speed restriction proposals by wrongly trumpeting "20mph Campaign Successful.""Property Values on Park Farm Way, Stanground will now certainly drop like a stone" say property experts consulted on your behalf as Cllr. Harper (second worst councillor attendance record just 43%) continues to blatently mislead his constituents with a misguided, blinkered, draconian imposition and self-styled crusade of an unwanted 20 mph blanket speed limit to be applied 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to the very heart and lifeline of our community.
Cllr Harper in his recent election address stated that he would campaign for a 20 mph speed limit on Framlingham Road and 'around' Heritage Park School - nothing was ever said about Park Farm Way being included as the school is set way back on Park Farm Crescent. Although Cllr. Harper suggests this is 'a done deal.' In truth, it isn't!
Cllr. Harper does not say in the glossy political handout that as a resident, saddled with this speed restriction, you may still lawfully object. The councillor is lawfully obliged to tell you, says PCC Planning and Transport Officers, and has therefore misled his constituents. Representations are being made to members services. This scheme is still very much at the public consultation stage and has not as yet been considered and has not been approved. You have time to object IN WRITING by letter or e-mail and we have provided a template see below:
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| Not unlike the human heart but with a huge gaping hole in it, the proposed blanket 20 mph speed restriction for Park Farm will literally rip the heart out of this commuinity and see a further deterioration of house price values which have already been hit by a 20 per cent drop in the last few months. Make no mistake if you live in any of the properties on Park Farm Way, the 20 MPH limit will impact immediately you start up your car and leave your parking space even when the school is closed, weekends, overnight or the children are on holidays . It is also a kerb-crawlers dream, as we will not be able to report slow driving cars, (as the suspects who could also be scoping properties for future burglary) will simply say they are observing the newly imposed 20 mph speed limit. |
Suggested format for your letter (or e-mail) of objection, add your own observations, your written objection must be with the PCC by 27th September 2011, the objection can also be e-mailed to judi.anderson@peterborough.gov.uk SELECT ALL FROM THIS LINE DOWNWARDS Your Name:.....................................
Address...........................................
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Postcode (In full)........................................................
Date:................................................ (before 27th September 2011)
TO: Mr Simon Machen
Head of Planning, Transport and Engineering
Bridge House, Town Hall
Peterborough, PE1 1XG
or by e-mail to
judi.anderson@peterborough.gov.ukTel: 01733 453565
Dear Sir,
Re: Speed Limit Amendments Traffic Regulation Order 2011 Schedule 1
Park Farm Way: Blanket 20 mph speed restriction (part as marked on schedule)
Park Farm Crescent: Blanket 20 mph speed restriction (whole of road).As a resident I wish to object to the intention to reduce the speed limit on Park Farm Way to a permanent ‘blanket’ 20 miles per hour seven days a week and 24 hours a day.
The objections: 1. The section of Park Farm Way and whole of Park Farm Crescent as defined in the schedule - is the very centre of this dense mixed development residential neighbourhood and community - to be given a blanket 20 MPH limit already has numerous traffic calming measures vis four substantial raised table sections at junctions, where you need to slow down to 5-10 mph and it is virtually impossible to travel more than 15- 20 mph without seriously damaging the underside of any car or vehicle.
2. The Conservative Party in a four page leaflet entitled intouch (SIC) dated August/September (hand delivered to every house in Park Farm and Stanground on 13th September) untruthfully states the "20 mph Campaign has been successful" and in addition Cllr. Harper says that pictorial signs designed by schoolchildren ‘should be up by Autumn.’
There is no reference in the widely distributed handout, of the public consultation period and residents / business owners rights to submit objections by 28th September 2011, the continuing consultation or that consideration of lawful objections are still taking place. The implication being that all objections are no longer possible (clearly this is wrong) and that the 20 mph speed limit is a ‘done deal’ ie approved and going ahead and this was the understanding of the leaflet authors as early as July/August 2011.
This clearly is an abuse of process by the councillor, who trumpeted the imposition of a 20 mph limit as an election manifesto aim and has used inside knowledge according to his published leaflet, that the speed limit has been approved and clearly states “signs will be in place by the Autumn.”
3. The area of 20 mph speed control extends far beyond the school pick up and drop area as the school is set back and is confined to Park Farm Crescent and in front is a 3,000 sq ft commercial retail premises/convenience store, opposite residential flats and residents/ commercial premises parking which when fully operational will have the effect of slowing all traffic in any event. The school drop off zone does not impact on Park Farm Way in any event.
4. The proposal for a blanket 20 mph limit does not have the support of Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch or local neighbourhood police who have indicated they will not have the additional resources required to police the 20 mph speed limit around the clock, on a seven day a week, basis and as we show below, this will act as a magnet for 24-hour criminal activity. There has recently been a rise in housebreaking and burglary and this blanket speed limit reduction will not assist.
5. The 20 mph speed limit will not only impact on the school run which is restricted to schooldays on 8:30am to 9:20am and 3pm to 3:40pm or parking but will permanently blight and impact local residents around the clock and seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
6. The engineering department survey was completed long prior to the full opening of the Cardea bypass and as a result is fatally flawed, inaccurate and now redundant as there is little or no traffic during the daytime along Park Farm Way and certainly no speeding concerns due to the placement of current well established traffic calming measures.
7. Park Farm Way is no longer used as a commuter ‘rat run’ or ‘cut through’, since the Cardea bypass has fully opened and importantly the Cardea by-pass has now in the last few months appeared on all satellite navigation platforms and road traffic maps as a preferred route. Before any 20 mph limit is considered or imposed a new survey should be undertaken.
8. This is a wholly unwelcome and unwanted speed restriction which will not contribute to safety as traffic is already calmed by a variety of factors on this particular section but will substantially contribute to a substantial increase of crime levels on Park Farm as any ‘suspect’ car or van ‘scoping’ properties for future burglary and in preparation for doing so embark on a slow ‘drive-by’ at any time, day or night, can no longer be reported by residents to police for investigation, as the driver/ passengers will claim they are simply observing the speed limit although it might be at 2am in the morning or at weekends – when the school is closed but the enforced speed limit seemingly guarding an empty road remains.
9. Any increase in crime caused by these measures will further erode residential property values, and impact on any improvement and regeneration in this area.
10. At a time when PCC is trying to cut back on revenue waste in all departments, this is a prime example of when once the engineers and activists have long lost interest in the 20 mph limit or silently decided it was wrong in the first place, the continuing cost of policing and maintaining a 20 mph limit around the clock falls for years ahead on the local community.
11. In view of the objections above and others that will present as an outcome of the imposition of this unwanted, costly and unnecessary speed restriction. We ask the City Council to fully reconsider the plan on accurate current circumstances, togther with full and open public consultation as demanded by law. We suggest putting the substantial money saved into areas that really would benefit such as childrens services.
Please also copy this objection to PCC members services so they may fully investigate the non disclosure of the current public consultation process by the councillor for Stanground East in the widely distributed intouch (sic) pamphlet.
Yours sincerely
[your signature and print name below]
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| Northern end of the 20 mph proposed speeding limit directly impacts on this residential house development |
.. (C) Stanground & Park Farm News 2011 (C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch 2011, Peterborough,UK E&OE Tel: 01733 345581 ALL ENQUIRIES LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE: 0345 4564564 OR Dial 999. If you have any information about crime contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to Court. >> Broadcast Quality ISDN 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & ATX >> Media Enquiries: JULIAN BRAY 01733 345581 http://tinyurl.com/STANGROUNDPFNW
