Norfolk speed cameras to be axedhttp://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED22%20Sep%202010%2019%3A49%3A17%3A257Matthew Sparkes, EDP, 23 September 2010
Speed cameras across Norfolk are set to be scrapped to save more than £1 million in a move which the Association of Chief Police Officers has called a “kneejerk” reaction.
Councillors voted yesterday to withdraw the entire budget for the Safety Camera Partnership (SCP), which operates cameras, runs speedwatch schemes and carries out community safety programmes.
It also installs and maintains speed awareness signs which flash when drivers pass by over the speed limit.
The annual budget for the organisation is £1.6 million, which will offer savings of £1.1 million next year once the one-off £500,000 cost of closing it down is absorbed.
But it would also mean that all 23 fixed speed cameras in the county are turned off or removed and that mobile enforcement vans are taken out of service.
Police officers would retain the authority to stop and charge speeders, but with the force also facing personnel cuts of 10pc it is unclear what level of enforcement they would be able to provide.
Although awareness courses for speeding drivers would still be run by Norfolk County Council, the loss of the SCP would remove 90pc of referrals and cost it £180,000 in income.
Approval for the plans was given at a meeting of the environment, transport and development scrutiny panel at County Hall in Norwich.
Meanwhile, Suffolk currently has six fixed speed cameras and has made no decision on shutting them down or reducing their numbers.
The Suffolk SafeCam partnership has also been affected by a 40pc cut in its budget this year, leaving the future for its 28 staff unclear, but the county council has made no official decision.
In Norfolk, the proposal to slash all funding for the SCP was approved by nine votes to four over three less dramatic options which provided budget reductions.
The move was taken after central government reduced its road safety grant to the council by 40pc this year and announced that it would be removed entirely next year.
The grant was used to fund the entire SCP and, although government said councils could decide where to make the cuts and should not automatically reduce road safety budgets, it seems likely that this will be the outcome.
In a report to councillors, director of environment, transport and development, Mike Jackson, admitted that traffic speeds would be likely to increase without speed cameras and that “more people may be killed or seriously injured in the county”.
Norfolk has had an excellent record of reducing casualties since speed cameras were first introduced in 1997, ahead of the regional average, but there are still 400 fatal or serious injuries and 2,300 minor injuries each year.
These figures would be likely to rise once speed cameras are deactivated.
James Joyce, Liberal Democrat spokesman for community services, said: “We've managed to drive down the accident rate for children killed or seriously injured to really great levels. It's been a success and the cameras are part of that success.”
“We're talking about lives here. Lives are of vital importance. We have to find a way of funding it.”
But other members decided that it should no longer fall to the council to fund a reduction in speeding.
Mr John Ward, Conservative member of Norfolk County Council for Sprowston, said: “Speeding is breaking the law and therefore it's a matter for the police. I don't see why we should be doing their work for them.”
The issue will now go before the cabinet for a final decision at its next meeting on October 11.
If approved then a schedule for decommissioning the cameras will be drawn up.
Police inspector Ian Boggan, manager of the SCP, said: “My initial reaction is that we really need to pause and consider our position.”
“I would add that it's a responsibility of the constabulary to enforce legislation and at the end of the day we'll do that to the best of our ability with the resources we have available.”
Last month it was announced that 15 SCP staff out of a total of 30 would be redeployed or made redundant.
The Association of Chief Police Officers' lead of roads policing, chief constable Mick Giannasi, warned that the “kneejerk” move to cut costs could have serious repercussions.
He said: “The police service believes that the use of safety cameras has been a cornerstone of the success in reducing death and injuries on our roads and many lives have been saved since the introduction of speed cameras.
“They are an effective way of making drivers reduce their speed and drive more safely while penalising those who don't.
“Keeping people safe on our roads requires a concerted campaign, based on a variety of tactics to prevent irresponsible people from causing death and injury. Safety cameras are a vital part of that campaign. We need to look at the evidence and ask if a kneejerk reaction here is genuinely going to save money or whether it is just going to cost lives.
“Potentially we are heading for a significant short term reduction in existing camera enforcement capability. It would be a step backwards if that was allowed to happen indiscriminately. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
It has also attracted criticism from RAC spokesman John Franklin, He said: “This decision could have serious consequences to road safety in Norfolk.”
“Speed cameras are an issue that divides many motorists and it's likely that some will applaud such a decision. However, it has been proved that speed cameras have helped to reduce accidents, reduce injuries and save lives at accident blackspots.
“Such a decision could reverse all the good road safety work over the past few years that has seen a consistent reduction in the number of road casualties.
“Also the abolition of the road safety education work could also have a detrimental impact on road safety. We understand that budgets are tight, with many services needing protection, but road safety is also a very important area.”