By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
There are calls to reinstate the funding for community speed watch in Gloucestershire.
Funding for the scheme was quietly axed earlier this year to help fund the rollout of 20mph speed limits in the county.
But with only around 40 out about 400 Gloucestershire villages and communities expected to benefit, Conservative councillors at Shire Hall want to see the initiative reintroduced.
They are proposing that £360,000 be allocated to fund the volunteer-led community scheme which helps reduce speeding by recording vehicle speeds with specialised devices as well as vehicle activated signage schemes.
Tory councillors believe this could fund this by allocating money from Gloucestershire County Council’s public health or the “Liberal Democrat” video production budget.
Councillor Tom Bradley (C, Campden-Vale), who is proposing the reinstatement of funding for the scheme, said: “During the election voters were promised that safer roads were one of the key priorities for the Lib Dems.
“Sadly, communities up and down the county have come to the realisation that words and action from the Lib-Dem led council don’t match up.
“The failed roll-out of their flagship safer roads initiative has left many more communities disappointed than pleased, and the latest move to withdraw funding for community speed cameras and Vehicle Activated Signage now leaves communities blighted by speeding with no tools at their disposal.
“Conservatives on Gloucestershire County Council will always support our communities and will seek to do all we can to help make our roads safer- through action, not just words”
And fellow Cotswold Conservative Daryl Corps (Moreton, Stow and the Rissingtons) claimed the promises the Lib Dem administration made on road safety seem to have “vanished into thin air”.
“For many rural communities, the message now appears to be: if you didn’t make the cut for Community 20s, you’re on your own,” he said.
“That is not a road safety strategy. It is a postcode lottery.
“Many of the parishes I represent feel, frankly, abandoned. They are not asking for the earth. They are asking for practical tools that help keep their communities safe.
“A community speed camera or a flashing sign may seem like a small thing from Shire Hall. In a village worried about speeding traffic, it can mean a great deal.”
Liberal Democrat Roger Whyborn (Benhall and Up Hatherley, who is the cabinet member responsible for road safety, said the Safer Roads and Community 20s programme is built on robust casualty and collision data, not perception alone.
He said: “That data consistently shows that the highest risks – and therefore the greatest potential to prevent death and serious injury – are concentrated in specific locations. Diverting funding away from that targeted approach risks reducing the overall impact on road safety.
“There is also limited evidence that measures such as community speed watch, cameras or signage, in isolation, deliver sustained reductions in collisions or serious injuries at a network level. By contrast, a data-led programme allows investment to be focused where it will demonstrably save the most lives.
“We absolutely agree that all communities deserve to feel safe. However, fairness is not about distributing funding evenly, but about prioritising it where the risk — and the opportunity to prevent harm — is greatest.
“The council remains committed to supporting communities through advice, engagement and future phases of delivery, but it is essential that limited resources are used in a way that is demonstrably effective in reducing casualties.”