Clerk’s Corner
By Viv Robins
Dissatisfaction with the various speed limit changes in The Lee has not abated – if anything the reverse, as residents wait for the County Council to pronounce on what modifications, if any, are going to be made to the current scheme.
In this connection I thought it might be worthwhile quoting in full the latest thoughts of the officer in charge of the Traffic Management Project, Shaun Pope. But while County Hall seems to be very busy with feedback and monitoring data it’s still not entirely clear to me when the final decision will emerge:
“Based on the feedback to date a non-key report is being prepared for the cabinet member. This will propose that representatives of the parish councils, county and district councillors and the police be invited to attend a meeting to discuss potential changes to the speed limits, based on the before and after traffic monitoring data, parish and public feedback and the results of the telephone survey of 300 residents. Following that meeting we will prepare any agreed amendments or new orders. These will then go out to formal and public consultation. We will then report this back in a key decision report (which will be published on the web along with the feedback) to the cabinet member and inform the representatives from parishes etc. The orders will then be sealed. We will then be able to implement the agreed changes on the ground.”
Shop the speeders!Incidentally although enforcement of speed limits is a matter for the police – and, given their limited resources, they tend to concentrate on roads with a bad accident record – you can always try raising concerns about speeding on local roads with your Neighbourhood Action Group, if you have one. If not you can contact Alison Mitchell at the Thames Valley Safer Roads partnership, which can record the road in question as a Community Concern Site and investigate it with a view to possible mobile enforcement. Alison can be contacted on 01628 601523 or by e-mail at am.saferroads@virgin.net.
Fly-tipping horror
This was the disgraceful sight that greeted passers-by in Timberley Lane, between Swan Bottom and Kings Ash, over the Easter period: not so much the contents of someone’s garage as the garage itself, complete with roof, windows and chunks of brick.
Not only was it an environmental eyesore but it also created huge problems for Erica Klien (pictured here), who keeps horses and sheep in the field at the top of the bridle path. With access barred to her vehicle, she was forced to cart buckets of water and feed up by hand at what was a critical time for the animals in the aftermath of lambing.
Mrs Klien said Chiltern District Council was sympathetic and quick to respond, but unfortunately because of the presence of so much asbestos in the debris the task of removing it was having to await a specialist team wearing special masks and clothing.
If you see or suffer any fly-tipping – though hopefully not on this scale – the hotline number is 0845 3301856. Waste Management services at the CDC are on 01494 732053.