Here is an extract from the first documentation I can find in my struggle to help Southgate Street residents in their fight for speed restrictions and traffic calming measures. It was written five years ago, and nearly a year before I became a councillor. It was followed by many other letters, and more focused efforts after I was elected, including the presentation of a residents petition to a Cabinet meeting, speed checks and so on.The culmination was a meeting in July 2005, after three years of pestering and waiting for a 20 mph limit extension, between St Edmundsbury Officers and the police. Here is what the outcome was. : 
(Apologies for the poor quality and small print of page 1. I am happy to send individuals full copies by email.)
Since then I have tried to get an electronic sign (not appropriate in a conservation area), speed humps (not in roads with cellars) and more recently there has been some reason for encouragement with a bollard calming scheme at the bottom of the road. See my earlier posts for details.
In the meantime Southgate Street residents and I have got no further - not even SID has arrived yet - and those who comment on this blog and on my website are understandably frustrated.
5 comments:
I'm sure to be told off (again)by someone but isn't this supposed to be the personal and lighter of your two blogs? This story is suspiciously like a political posting.
Paul, I appreciate you are doing a lot of work on this problem, but to see that you started at least five years ago and are not a lot further forward is slightly disturbing. Do the wheels of local government really grind this slowly? How do you cope with the frustration? This morning as I left for work at 8am three police vehicles came screaming down the street with sirens blaring. I know they have a job to do, but this is just an example of the speeds other drivers travel at without the exscuse the police have. I know I have said this before, but does it take a fatality to get something done? As you have been counting empty shop units this week, I am now counting dogs, cats, young children, senior citizens, that I know of in the one-way part of this street. All are hazards to unwary drivers. Sometimes it is difficult even to park without impatient people behind you trying to get in your boot-and no comments on female drivers please!
FM - yes, yes and yes! I sometimes wonder if even a fatality (god forbid) would make any difference. I shall keep trying though.
PM - you are absolutely right. It took a lot of effort for a not very technical person like me to scan and upload those letters. I was very pleased with myself until I relaised I'd done it on the wrong blog! I tried changing it over but couldn't face it, thinking "well no one will read it anyway". Maybe I'll make a supreme effort tomorrow and swop it over - or maybe I'll not bother!
Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? (grovel grovel)
I will forgive you as long as your next post is FUN and LIGHTHEARTED.
Thank you PM.
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