Neighbourhood Panels - the public take centre stage
JULY SAW THE LATEST ROUND OF NEIGHBOURHOOD PANELS in East Cambridgeshire, where residents, Councillors and representatives from other organisations (such as Sanctuary Hereward (Housing), the Office of Children and Young People's Services and Cambridgeshire Constabulary) have their say on the important issues facing their communities, and set priorities for action.
The South Panel met on Tuesday 1st July at Bottisham Village College with 49 people present, and Cheveley Ward Councillor Carl Poole chairing the meeting. The agenda had been organised to enable full involvement of the public from early on in the meeting.
Councillor Carl Poole, who chairs the Panel, said "It was encouraging to see new faces in the audience at our last meeting. I am pleased that by introducing an 'Open Public Forum' right at the start of our meetings that we have strengthened residents' involvement and re-set the balance. We are now well into this extended pilot and I am pleased that our Panel is forming its own identity and style: Our work is broad and our approach is inclusive. It is right for our residents to be fully involved in the process and I hope this message spreads, so that even more people attend and contribute next time."
Feedback was provided on the action taken on all of the issues of concern identified fly-tipping, speeding and consultation on proposed changes to airspace (NATS), but the priority issue for policing was identified as
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in Burwell
A priority for the District Council (with Veolia) is to improve the refuse and recycling collection service, with the promise of providing a detailed report to the next Panel meeting.
In Swaffham Prior, fly-tipping and the illegal travellers'encampment had been identified as priorities for action within the community. Action has been taken to tackle these issues, with bailiffs due soon at the encampment and other measures to ensure that there is no repeat action within the village. Speeding in Swaffham Bulbeck and on Mill Hill remains a problem and there is still some fly-tipping on the fen.
Many Parish Councillors are enthusiastic about the Speedwatch initiative. They were asked to consider being involved (together with volunteers from the Parish) in a extension of the Speedwatch scheme which has been piloted in the Soham and East area for the past 3 months.
Councillor Joe Pattison in giving feedback to the Soham and East Panel on July 2nd, outlined that the team of volunteers had agreed to be involved in the Speedwatch pilot mainly on the basis that 'speed kills'. He stressed that more volunteers are needed.
In selecting which equipment should be used, there was an advantage to using a display screen (rather than a gun) for educative reasons. A crucial aspect of the pilot was the effective use of publicity to inform local people of the detail and purposes of the pilot. Articles appeared in the Ely Weekly News and the Cambridge Evening News and a feature on 'Look East'(on BBC1).
The first use of equipment by the volunteer team after their training had been at Mereside. This indicated that there was a great deal of speeding in excess of 37mph (in a 30 mph zone).
The volunteer team worked in different locations at different times of the day - early in the morning, at lunchtime and at the end of the day, just after the rush hour (which slows traffic naturally). By mid-June, 29 sampling checks had been made in the towns and villages within the area, recording 2105 vehicles in 30 mph speed restricted zones. 14% of those vehicles were travelling between 33-37mph, while in addition a further 10% were travelling 37-40. 67 vehicles were travelling 41-45mph, 20 vehicles between 46 -50 mph and 4 vehicles over 51 mph.
In all, 298 vehicles (14%) were driving in excess of 37 mph, which overall indicates that approx one in three drivers was speeding in a 30 mph zone (this included all types of vehicles and all ages of drivers) !
High proportions of speeding were identified in Mereside (Soham), in Chippenham Road, Snailwell and in North Street, Wicken.
Observations from the Speedwatch team are;
- Easy to set up and operate
- High visibility to speeding motorist
- Positive response from the local community
- No restrictions (cf. police) on where to operate
- Educational effect stops all speeding
- Clear identification of 'hotspots'and times, so that police can target their enforcement campaigns
Follow-up letter to the 298 speeding motorists: very effective (in showing 'teeth') 10% of these have received speeding tickets.
In conclusion, Cllr. Pattison highlighted the need for more volunteers from each village and parish, so that checks can continue to be made on a regular basis. The checks have an impact in reducing the speed of traffic on both sides of the road.
From the experience of the pilot, it was advocated that equipment should be purchased, volunteers be identified and trained and the scheme to be operated as soon as possible.
The issue of speeding was identified as a problem in the following parishes: Ashley, Brinkley, Cheveley, Dullingham, Lode, Swaffham Prior, Swaffham Bulbeck, Woodditton, Kennett and Wicken, and several more specific areas.
Parish representatives were encouraged to consider possible involvement of volunteers from their area in Speedwatch and whether to purchase equipment to help identify the timing and specific locations of speeding in each locality.
A Newsletter summarising the outcomes from the Panel meeting will be published in mid-August, together with an invitation to (even more) members of the public to come to the next meeting on
Tuesday, 7th October 7.0 - 9.0 pm in Swaffham Prior Village Hall
A revised Neighbourhood Panel webpage is now available in the A-Z section of the District Council's website www.eastcambs.gov.uk, including the local police Neighbourhood Profile (showing statistics for crime and anti-social behaviour in the area), the Minutes of the Panel and Action Group (7th July) meetings and you can receive more information directly from