Safe Speed Forums

Swindon Borough Council are debating the following motion on Thursday 22nd November

Motion - Swindon Safety Camera Partnership
Councillor Andy James will move and Councillor Peter Greenhalgh will
second:

This Council notes the large amount of money raised for Central Government by
the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership. This Council also notes
the persistent under-funding by Central Government of all service areas in
Swindon since 1997, including highways, by failing to take into account the extra
cost pressures the authority faces. Therefore, this Council requests that the
Leader of the Council write to the Minister requesting that the fines raised by the
Safety Camera Partnership in the Borough be returned to the Council and
hypothecated for highways purposes. Should the Government fail to accede to
this request, this Council urges the Cabinet to commence discussions to secure
the withdrawal of Swindon Borough Council from the Wiltshire and Swindon
Safety Camera Partnership and refocus investment into other safety measures,
and report back to the Full Council on this matter.


There is considerable discussion about this motion in the local media and forums - have a look here

http://www.talkswindon.org/index.php?topic=2584.0

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/swindonnewsheadlines/display.var.1844451.0.speed_camera_cash_handover_demand.php

and one of the local MP's is now wading in :- http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/swindonnewsheadlines/display.var.1848289.0.camera_plan_may_cut_cash.php

Maybe we should all write a seriuos letter to our council asking to take the "road safety money" and spend it on road safety.
Even better ask to speak to the council at the next council meeting.
Most councils allow a five minite mini hearing.

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

I have just heard that Swindon have voted for the Government to hand over the cash raised by fines or it will pull out of the "Safety Camera" Partnership funding arrangement.

Why can't all councils do this ?

They probably could all vote for this. Unfortunately this would be a waste of time as this change is not in their gift to deliver and it is very unlikely that the Government will row back on a policy so soon after changing it "for the better".

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

surely the government will either have to give Swindon the money or face the camera partnership funding being withdrawn and thus. If all other councils followed this move the government would either have to change their policy and risk annoying all the councils and the general motoring population or risk all that revenue disappearing ? either way the government would be in the wrong - I don't see how they can win.

They might elect to simply pay the partnerships directly, and remove the same amount from the council grants

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

No chance. DfT has deemed speed cameras 'too hot to handle' and are busy looking the other way as much as possible.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

It would be a good way to get rid of the partnership without having to admit they did anything wrong, would it not?
They failed because of lack of funding, not because the entire system was flawed. Honest.
Or even... Funding is down, accidents are up, therefore a lack of funding causes accidents.

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Andrew.

Or the Local council failed to fund them, and deaths will go up - that's what the SCP said in North Somerset!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

If deaths go down the SCP will probably cite RTTM