Vale deputies seeking to block new 25mph speed limits

Vale’s deputies have confirmed that they intend trying to overturn Environment and Infrastructure’s attempts to impose 25mph speed limits on more than 80 island roads.

This follows a lively Deputies’ Surgery at the Vale Douzaine Rooms on Saturday morning when many parishioners questioned what was being proposed and why, following the Guernsey Press headline story, above.

Mary Lowe, the parish’s senior States representative, told this website: ‘We were faced with some unhappy people following the E&I decision to go ahead with the 25mph limit in certain roads. The four Deputies present, Neil [Inder], Matt [Fallaize], Laurie [Queripel] and myself were asked what were we going to do about it...’

All the deputies had earlier received feedback from parishioners concerned by the E&I plan and the way the limits were being introduced.

Blocking motion
After some discussion, the deputies agreed that they would attempt to stop the new restrictions being imposed by placing a motion to annul the Statutory Instrument which, when lodged by E&I, would give force to the new limits, although no one has yet agreed to front such a move.

It is understood that Environment has been told of the deputies’ decision so its members, who include Vale Deputy Sarah Hansmann-Rouxel, can decide whether to go ahead or not with installing the new roadsigns ahead of the challenge to the limits.

The four deputies also made it clear that the decision to impose the speed limits was a collective one by E&I, not down to any one individual.

• Proposals by the Environment Committee to reduce the speed limit on more than 80 island roads including Braye Road and thoroughfares around the Bridge (pictured below) were earlier rejected by the Vale Douzaine as 'a waste of time'. Senior Constable Richard Leale wrote to the committee to outline the Douzaine's opposition to the recommendations, which were widely condemned by members as unnecessary, not evidence based and unlikely to have any practical effect.
• Restricting Braye Road to 25mph was a particular concern.
• Mr Leale told the Guernsey Press over the weekend that it was obvious  imposing the limits was a fait accompli when it emerged the committee had already bought the signs and poles.