Lowering speed limits down to 'too much development', says former Vale Douzenier

With debate continuing on Environment and Infrastructure's proposed speed limit changes on 80 island roads, many in the north of the island, a former Vale Douzenier has written to the committee with her views on the subject.

These might be summarised as, without enforcement, the reduced limits will be meaningless and 'saturation' development in the north is driving the proposals.

In the meantime, Vale Deputy Mary Lowe, as President of Home Affairs, is understood to be releasing shortly her committee's views on the proposals, as these currently remain unknown.

The letter to E&I is as follows:

To Whom it may concern,

Although it makes sense to have speed restrictions in areas around schools/residential/care homes etc and in roads such as Sandy Hook, Sandy Lane, Ville Baudu/Maisons au Comptes Tertre Lane, Le Friquet etc, if there is no way of monitoring these roads, i.e. speed cameras, then these speed limits will be broken constantly. Throw into the equation the fact that permission has been granted for more houses to be built in some already built up areas of the north and in narrow lanes, e.g. Tertre Lane, then the whole of the north of the island will soon need to be zoned at 20mph.

If common sense prevailed and motorists drove at the recommended/suitable speed for narrow roads there would be no need to reduce speed limits. Bearing in mind that the maximum is 35mph island wide, if this was adhered to there would be no need to reduce the speed limit on such roads as Braye Road.

However, common sense and respecting speed limits doesn't always prevail so without speed cameras, how will the law be enforced?

I live on the Summerfield Road and following the death of a child in recent years the speed limit was reduced to 25mph.

I would say on average that 3 out of every 10 cars on this road observe the speed limit, roughly 6 out of 10 travel at approx. 30/35mph and 1 out of the 10 exceed the 35mph speed limit.

I believe I'm correct in thinking that some kind of  study was carried out in the north of the island recently and it was found that continued building in the north would not cause a problem to the infrastructure. Yet many of the proposed speed restrictions are to take place in the Vale/St Sampson's. So is this a "knee jerk reaction" to the sudden realisation that we have reached saturation point in the north for both houses and traffic?

Spread the housing out and traffic will automatically be spread out too.

Kind regards,

Pat Devenport