Phase 2 – Pedestrian Crossing by the School

Our focus has now moved on to the designated crossing point we need by the school.

We have requested that WCC Highway’s Dept attend the village and carry out the necessary survey so a safer crossing point can be established. The majority of the funding is in place and examples of other villages that have crossings should serve as a precedent. We also have funding for a ‘Lollipop Person’ to operate at the crossing during school drop-off and pick-up times.

Phase 2 – Pedestrian Crossing by the School

Along with repairs to the road surface, repainting road markings and repairing the safety railings; the next stage of our plan is to install a designated crossing point by the school in the form of a pedestrian Zebra crossing. We also have funding for a ‘Lollipop Person’ to operate by the school entrance during school drop-off and pick-up times. If this position is of interest please let us know by email to Brailes Speed Watch team via the Parish Council.

The Stratford Herald are keen to support our ‘safer crossing’ campaign and sent a reporter to the village on 15^th July to meet a couple of the Speed Watch team to understand and witness the issue outside the School. Their support in contacting WCC on our behalf has already begun to have a positive effect.

Police to increase their presence to tackle persistent speeding – The Police are investing in more speed detection vehicles to address the County’s speeding problem that is seen as the cause of half the deaths on the roads. In June, 48,000 vehicles drove through Brailes, of these, 22,000 exceeded the speed limit – that’s over 700 EVERY DAY !

The highest speed recorded was 67mph. Speeding occurs throughout the day, but the worst times are between 07:30 – 09:00 and 15:00 – 17:00; times when children and parents are walking to or from school. This is why we need to make the area around the school as safe to cross the road as possible. Speeding is also an issue in WINDERTON where currently the National speed limit of 60mph applies! We have been challenging WCC Highway’s department since May to reduce this to at least 30mph and will continue to do so. In the meantime we intend to put some ‘20 is Plenty’ warning signs out to appeal to drivers to be more diligent.  

The Community Speed Watch team are committed to continue to hold speed monitoring events in the village every week to try to make as many drivers aware of their speed as we can, but that alone will never solve the problem. 

As a reminder, Phase 2 of the RSIP is to further improve road safety around the school, and so this will include repairing the road surface, repainting all the faded road markings and zig zag ‘no parking’ lines either side of the school entrance, repair/replace the safety railings and to install a pedestrian ‘Zebra’ crossing. In the meantime, thanks to the kind donation by the Free School, we have the funding to employ a ‘Lollipop Person’ to operate by the school entrance during school drop-off and pick-up times. If this position is of interest please let us know by email to Brailes Speed Watch team via the Parish Council.
 
SPEEDING THROUGHOUT THE VILLAGE REMAINS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. Data from the two static cameras at either end of the village record time, date and vehicle speed 24/7. In May, the camera facing Holloway Hill in Lower Brailes recorded 27,000 vehicles entered the village, 52% of which exceeded 30mph. Highest speed was 72mph!! Whilst the camera in Upper Brailes facing Shipston direction, recorded 22,000 vehicles, of which 37% exceeded the speed limit, the highest being 57mph.

The Community Speed Watch team are committed to continue giving up their time to keep trying to make drivers more aware of their speed but one hour each week will never entirely solve the problem – hence we need to continue campaigning for Stages 2 and 3 to be implemented, because this amount of dangerous driving cannot be allowed to continue.

As was reported last month, we are also working with the County Council regarding a review of the legal speed limit in WINDERTON. Sarah Whalley-Hoggins has kindly got involved to help us get this sorted. We are also considering obtaining the means of a traffic speed survey to ensure the correct course of actions are taken to address this. Sadly, as is the case with Brailes, it appears some of the worst offenders are commuters from outside the village.

Phase 2 of the plan is expected to include repairing the road surface, repainting all the faded road markings and zig zag ‘no parking’ lines either side of the school entrance, repair/replace the safety railings and to install a pedestrian ‘Zebra’ crossing. In the meantime, we intend to employ a ‘Lollipop Person’ to operate by the school entrance during school drop-off and pick-up times. If this position is of interest please let us know by email to Brailes Speed Watch team via the Parish Council.
 
SPEEDING REMAINS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. In the last few weeks the Community Speed Watch team have again recorded numerous vehicles exceeding 50mph. At this speed the likelihood of a pedestrian being killed if struck by a vehicle is 70% (Government national statistics). The static cameras at either end of the village record time, date and vehicle speed 24/7 and so the community speed monitoring events are guided by the times the worst speeding happens. For example – the team were out at 07:30 on a Monday morning and within 17 minutes SIX vehicles were caught speeding, 5 of which were over 40mph. The worst was the same vehicle we reported last month that was recorded at 58mph with no attempt to slow down! The Police are aware of all these drivers and are now involved in following up. This cannot be allowed to continue.

We are also aware WINDERTON village has similar problems, although arguably worse when you consider the narrowness of the road between houses. It appears yet again the speeding problem is traffic using the village as a thoroughfare, with no regard for the surroundings. This is now being included in our Road Safety Improvement Plan and appropriate actions are in progress.

Phase 2 of the plan is tois to repaint all the faded road markings, including the zig zag ‘no parking’ lines either side of the school entrance and to install a pedestrian ‘Zebra’ crossing. This will encourage children, and other vulnerable road users, to cross the road in a safer location instead of dodging between parked cars anywhere along the stretch between Sutton Lane and Castle Hill Lane as they do now.

The two static speed cameras in Lower and Upper Brailes record vehicle speed, time and date, twenty-four hours a day. Almost half the vehicles entering the village from both Holloway Hill and Shipston directions exceed 30mph. This data is downloaded monthly and used to determine not just when and where community speed monitoring events take place, but also by the Police, whose Speed Detector vehicles have been attending the village more frequently of late, the most recent being on Tuesday 17^th March.

On a recent CSW speed monitoring event it was frightening to have to record vehicles heading towards us at very high speed from Holloway Hill direction; the worst of which was recorded at 54mph. This same vehicle has now been reported for excessive speeding 3 times in the last year which will prompt an immediate visit by a police officer. At Chapel Lane location, other vehicles have been reported for exceeding 50 mph having just past the school..!!

The CSW team will continue doing what they can to help drivers be more aware of their speed and make it safer for everyone to cross the road. The School Safety Zone will undoubtedly help. If you would like to join the CSW team or have any views on the speeding situation, please let us know via the Brailes village website or by email to: br****************@*****ok.com