Rasen councillors’ concerns over fewer cars but faster speeds

That was the concern expressed at last week’s town council meeting.

Councillor Neil Taylor said he had witnessed cars exceeding the speed limit along the main street and, while he hoped this was a temporary occurrence, felt it needed to be highlighted.

He said: “With the lighter traffic on the roads there is definitely, no doubt about it, speeding even faster than normal.

“Outside the Advocate [in the town’s Queen Street] two cars went past and they must have been doing at least 50 mph; anyone trying to cross the road would be in mortal danger.”

Councillor Taylor also highlighted concerns on some of the town’s other streets.

He said: “I think I can speak for Chapman Street when all the residents are often actually standing at their gateway and trying to indicate to traffic to slow down.

“It is a rat run particularly for the school run and we are very, very worried that somebody is going to get killed coming out of the footpath that goes across to the school because the traffic comes up there at the end of school day doing clearly over 30 miles an hour.”

Speed of vehicles in the town has been a subject regularly raised at town council meetings and is highlighted in the council’s three-year strategy.

Councillor Stephen Bunney, who sits on both the town and district councils, said: “It has been an issue for a while, but basically it has got worse.

“Enforcement is part of this programme and that might well mean putting islands or restrictions to calm the traffic down.

“That is not as easy on the A roads as it is on the side roads.

“It is a cross party concern at district council; we are very conscious about the speed of traffic in villages and communities.

“We’re looking at seeing what we can do to put pressure on the county council highways to introduce 20 or 25 mile-per- hour speed limits in villages and towns as occurs in quite a lot of the country now.

“That would also involve some enforcement, but I think it will be up to each community to champion their own area.

“There is a national campaign that I think about 40 authorities have signed up to and we feel this is perhaps something we need to look at in the district of West Lindsey in the coming months.

“It is not just for environmental and health reasons, but actually just to make it safer when people re out on their bikes and walking.

“But it is not just speed, we have to look at the quality of the roads too.”

Community speedwatch schemes have shown to be a positive step to tackling concerns over speed in towns and villages.
Town Mayor, John Matthews said: “We had the community speedwatch up and running [in Market Rasen] but sadly we are restricted at the moment under Covid regulations.
“It is something that I am very keen we get going again as soon as we are allowed.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about becoming a speedwatch volunteer, which involves some training, should contact the town council clerk by email [email protected] or call 01673 842479