Cameras could be installed at the top of Stone High Street to catch motorists who ignore a no-entry rule – and community leaders are prepared to invest taxpayers’ money in their latest attempt to stop the safety hazard.
Stone Town Council is considering a £30,000 funding pot towards buying automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras as part of next year’s budget.
The street is supposed to be off-limits for vehicles between 10am and 4.30pm, with access allowed outside of these hours for traders loading and unloading goods. But many drivers flout the ban, causing concerns for the safety of pedestrians including children and elderly people using the High Street.
The town council has worked with Staffordshire County Council, Stafford Borough Council and Staffordshire Police in recent years in a bid to enforce the High Street vehicle ban. But bollards installed at the top of the High Street during the day to stop drivers accessing it have been damaged by vehicles, town councillors heard at their latest meeting.
Councillor Rob Kenney, chair of the General Purposes Committee, put forward the budget proposal. He said:
“We will be able to go to other authorities to ask them to contribute to the ANPR.
“If you go down the High Street at night, it is like a car park. In the market square, outside the library, there are cars parked and further down going towards the takeaways.
“Its an accident waiting to happen. The other day I saw a car go over the ‘road closed’ sign,”
Councillor Tom Kelt said: “I support this suggestion. It’s the only way we can keep control of traffic coming down the High Street.
“It is important that when these people are caught breaking the rules they should be penalised.”
Councillor Ian Fordham said: “The safety of our residents – especially our children – has been an issue of several years because of drivers. It needs sorting out before there is a serious injury or fatality.”
Councillor Jill Hood also raised the issue at the latest full Staffordshire County Council meeting. She said:
“Our biggest concern at the moment is the High Street; we, the town council, are continually paying out for brand new bollards.
“And then we get people who ignore the no entry sign come round at ridiculous speeds. One hit a bollard so hard that the car was embedded on the bollard.
“We are looking at automated number plate recognition. The town council is quite willing to put in a considerable amount of money.
“But I’m told by the highways department that this is not possible, because if we pursue it and we get it, it is going to cost the county council for every town and village to put in ANPR. I’m hoping that Mr Deaville (the county council’s cabinet member for strategic highways) will look at this – I’ve already spoken to highways.
“We have a beautiful High Street – it’s always packed with families, a large elderly population and mobility scooters and it just isn’t safe. Even when we have events going on in our High Street people are trying to drive down the High Street – you wouldn’t believe the chaos it causes.
“The county council have very kindly extended the opening and closing time of the High Street so that traders can come in after half past four when the schoolchildren have all gone. But it’s not safe – something needs to be done immediately and the solution will be ANPR.”
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5 comments
Dawn
While you’re at it how about speed cameras on the Longton road? Meant to be 30mph but it’s a racetrack, especially at night. The tiny “30” lampost stickers are surprisingly having no effect.
Wayne thompson
I am getting fed up with cara coming down the high street when I am.walking my dogs up the high street at 9.30 pm they almost run me and my dogs over this needs to stop and if you wanna blame any one blame the takeaway shops at the bottom of the town
Dawn
I don’t think we should blame the businesses on the high street for the decisions of motorists. It’s sheer laziness. There’s parking nearby. People simply don’t want to walk or pay for parking
T Coe
Paint the bollards a bright colour (not black!) so they are seen more easily. Spend the £30K removing splinter island & put the pelican crossing back where it was to encourage pedestrians to use it instead of risking (another) serious accident dodging 2 lanes of traffic. It would improve the exit from Morrisons car park & overall traffic flow would improve reducing the temptation to use the High Street as a shortcut – maybe put a ‘Merge in Turn’ sign at the lights after the High Street junction
A Mason
Fix the bollards then no traffic can pass them. Why throw more mo ney away on vamreas when the solution is already there.