It has been noted that other places on the A252 have been given
30mph speed limits, the A252 does not run through the centre of any
of the other villages in the same way that it does in Molash,
affecting the lives of the residents of nearly 20% of the
properties in Molash, (20 of the 105 properties in Molash are on
The Street), on this stretch of the road from The Chapel to just
past Coppins Farmhouse.
From the Gov UK website on SETTING LOCAL SPEED LIMITS - SECTION 7:
RURAL SPEED MANAGEMENT Key points read: It is government policy
that a 30-mph speed limit should be the norm in villages. It may
also be appropriate to consider 20 mph zones and limits in built-up
village streets. It is recommended that the minimum length of a
village speed limit should be 600 metres. However, traffic
authorities may lower this to 400 metres, and in exceptional
circumstances to 300 metres.
In our opinion, 40mph is too high a speed limit and, as outlined by
GovUK, a limit of 30mph or less should be implemented, this is what
we are requesting.
This ePetition ran from 14/11/2022 to 14/02/2023 and has now finished.
208 people signed this ePetition.
Dear Mr Seadon
Thank you for your enquiry enclosing a petition asking to reduce
the speed limit to 30mph on the A252 passing through The Street,
Molash.
In accordance with our ‘Petition Service’ as your
letter contains less than 1,000 signatures I have investigated
& reviewed your concerns in my role as the Cabinet Member for
Planning, Highways, Transportation & Waste.
We receive many requests for the implementation of safety measures
on the highway and, as such, all requests are reviewed and
prioritised. Our evidenced based approach is how we prioritise
investment in road safety improvements and identify specific safety
issues.
As part of this process we have examined the last three years of
validated personal injury crash data from Kent Police. Typically,
there is a 6 month delay from the time when a crash occurs to when
the data is shared with KCC by Kent Police. The length of the 40mph
section of The Street has been examined. This data shows that there
was just one personal injury collision; this was recorded as
serious injury. The incident took place on 10/09/2021. Speed was
not cited as a causation factor in this instance. For your
reference, the data we consider can be viewed for free on Crash Map
http://www.crashmap.co.uk.
Therefore, at this stage, we have not established any pattern of
incidents that could benefit from the engineering intervention of
lowering the speed limit. However, I would like to reassure you
that we take seriously all concerns about road traffic dangers and
as such we will continue to monitor this site.
We do also work with local Parish / Town Council’s and
elected County Members to ensure that a community voice helps to
prioritise our efforts, and, in many cases, help support funding
for improvements that do not achieve sufficient priority through
our countywide assessments. To see if there is a wider community
consensus for improvements the first step is for you to contact
your local Parish Council or County Member. The following link to
our website contains all the relevant information about the process
and will explain how to research the crash history via the crash
data map.
http://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/what-we-look-after/roads/changing-roads-in-your-area
If drivers are ignoring the current speed limit and driving in
excess, then they are highly likely to continue to drive in this
manner regardless of the speed limit posted. In terms of traffic
travelling above the set speed limit, the lead enforcement agency
is Kent Police; the County Council have no powers of speed
enforcement. If you believe that drivers are driving at excess
speed and without due care, then this is a matter for the Police
using their existing powers. Such concerns can be reported to them
on their non-emergency number 101.
In addition I would encourage you to contact Kent Police Speed
Watch Team at https://www.kent.police.uk/advice/community-support/speedwatch/
who can provide training on community led speed action. This allows
members of the public to record speeding vehicles on roads in their
area, by using portable speed devices. The owners of vehicles seen
repeatedly speeding anywhere in Kent over a 12-month period are
then sent a warning letter and advice by the police.
Thank you for taking the time to raise a petition and bringing your
concerns to my attention. I really value a community voice to flag
up local concerns based on your knowledge and experience of the
roads and footways in your area. I hope that my review has
clarified our position on this matter. If, however you feel we have
not dealt with your petition properly, please do contact me
again.
Yours sincerely
David Brazier