Safe Speed Forums

Kings Langley Parish Council to lobby MP Mike Penning for speed camera in Watford Road
4:28pm Wednesday 2nd June 2010 By Amie Mulderrig
Kings Langley Parish Councillors are to lobby MP Mike Penning following a heated debate yesterday evening.

At a meeting of the Kings Langley Parish Council at the Waterside Centre, resident Simon Pellington appealed to councillors to apply to Hertfordshire Highways to install speed cameras along his road.

Mr Pellington, of Watford Road, said: “I’ve been complaining about this road for the past four years and as I now have a young family I’m even more concerned.
“A random sample (carried out in October 2008) of car speeds showed that every other car is speeding along there up to 61 miles per hour.
“I feel like I’m being fobbed off when I’m told there isn’t any money to carry this out, it’s not good enough.
“I would like to be able to walk down the road with my kid without fearing for our lives. Something proactive needs to be done – not something reactive.”

Council Chairman Bob McLean said that he, along with other councillors, fully agreed with Mr Pellington, and further revealed how the clerk, Paul Dunham, had written to Hertfordshire Highways requesting a speed camera only to be told there needed to be six fatal or serious accidents along the road to qualify for a speed camera.
PC Nik Pringle said that Watford Road had been a policing priority for the past six months and that officers had been regularly patrolling the area with speed guns.
He added that few tickets had been given as most people were rarely speeding over 35mph, and of those that were, the speeders tended to be Kings Langley residents – which he said would make the installation of speed cameras on the road useless if drivers were used to where they were.

County Councillor Richard Roberts, who was seated in the audience, supported PC Pringle.
He said: “You have to have a way to decide how to spend resources and number of accidents is one way.
“I won’t be advocating speed cameras. There is traffic calming on both sides of the entrance to Kings Langley – traffic islands and white echelon lines- which are sufficient.”

Parish councillors disagreed with both PC Pringle and Councillor Roberts.
Councillor Alan Anderson said: “I understand what PC Pringle’s saying, but the reality is walk along and Mr Pellington is accurate - people are driving too fast.
“I think we should lobby Minister for Transport Mike Penning and ask him to support our cause to put a camera in Kings Langley.
“The other proposal is to see something being done as part of the “Policing Plan”. I’ve seen officers out and about with their speed guns, but I think that we need to see that the plan actually has some meat on it.”
The council resolved to contact Mr Penning and further liaise with the police.

Council Chairman Bob McLean said that he, along with other councillors, fully agreed with Mr Pellington, and further revealed how the clerk, Paul Dunham, had written to Hertfordshire Highways requesting a speed camera only to be told there needed to be six fatal or serious accidents along the road to qualify for a speed camera.

PC Nik Pringle said that Watford Road had been a policing priority for the past six months and that officers had been regularly patrolling the area with speed guns.
He added that few tickets had been given as most people were rarely speeding over 35mph, and of those that were, the speeders tended to be Kings Langley residents