Speed watch groups to end as 20mph rollout planned

Concerns have been raised about cuts to funding for community speed watch groups as a council plans to roll out 20mph zones.

Volunteers have been recording vehicle speeds in Gloucestershire with specialised devices since 2022, but county council cabinet member for road safety Roger Whyborn said the scheme was always going to end as it was not "infinitely budgeted".

The council said it was introducing a raft of new 20mph zones in towns and villages across the county to try and reduce deaths and serious injuries on roads.

But Ray Donaghue, councillor for Cinderford, said the simultaneous cut to the community scheme was "a real shame" as the programme helped people engage with speed awareness.

Stephen Davies, former Conservative council leader, said about 400 parishes and communities had expressed interest in a 20pmh zone, but he believed only about 40 would get one within the next two or three years.

Davies said the council would not be able to do anything for residents in areas which had not been chosen if the community speed watch initiative was no longer funded.

"I don't think that's a successful policy - it's a disaster," he added.

Donaghue said five residents volunteered in the scheme in Cinderford and another three or four had asked for training, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"It seems like a real shame because we are trying to get more public engagement, not less," the Reform UK councillor told a full council meeting on Wednesday.

Gloucestershire County Council has already secured about £2.8m in funding to begin rolling 20mph zones out across the county.

Liberal Democrat council leader Lisa Spivey said she had "always been very honest" about the fact not all areas would get a 20mph zone at once.

She recognised there were communities that would be disappointed they had to wait for a 20mph zone and added the council hoped to allocate more funding when it set a budget for the next year.

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