Calls for MORE average speed cameras on five major Plymouth roads

Plymouth people have come out overwhelmingly opposed to any rise in the number of average speed check cameras on the city's roads - but hundreds say they want even more of them.

A whopping 1,600 people took part in a Herald poll following our revelation earlier this month that Elburton Road in Plymstock was to be fitted out with the controversial cameras.

It will become just the second route in Plymouth to get them, after Gdynia Way, when the 'big brother' cameras are turned on.

In our poll, a huge majority of 77 per cent said they didn't want to see any more of the average speed cameras in the city.

The remaining 23 per cent (that's about 368 people) voted for one of five other major routes to get the new cameras.

At six per cent each, the most support was for cameras on Tavistock Road and Embankment Road, while five per cent want to see them on the A38.

Meanwhile, three per cent (still almost 50 people) went for both Wolseley Road and Glen Road in Plympton.

As The Herald revealed earlier this month, new average speed check cameras are being put up on one of Plymouth's busiest roads - and the limit dropped to 30mph.

Council chiefs have begun installing the controversial cameras along a long stretch of one of the main routes into the city – but failed to tell anyone first.

The new cameras could even herald the start of more such devices across city streets where council bosses fear motorists speed, resulting in the inevitable fines and court cases.

They will be Plymouth's second set of average speed check cameras - cameras put up in Gdynia Way in 2011 caused outrage when hundreds of motorists were caught out in the first few months alone.

The cameras caused such a stir that one of them was even shot with an air gun. The Herald fought for the release of figures revealing how many drivers had been fined for speeding on Gdynia Way but had Freedom of Information Act requests rejected - so the scale of fines remains a secret.

The council has not yet responded to questions from The Herald about the new average speed check cameras and it is unclear when they will be switched on.

The Herald reported in September 2015 that Elburton Road was earmarked as one of the streets council bosses decided was in need of a speed reduction from 40mph to 30mph.

At the time, former council leader Vivien Pengelly, who represents the Plymstock Dunstone ward, criticised Plymouth City Council over a lack of consultation and questioned the need for the change.

She said there had been no pressing need for a reduction in speed, due to a lack of accidents or speeding incidents.

Later the same month council bosses eventually revealed why they were choosing to reduce the speed, claiming it was on the advice of a Devon and Cornwall Police Road Safety Officer responding to an audit report from the Sherford developers.

The officer's recommendation came about because of the decision to remove a roundabout at Elburton's Stanborough Cross and replace it with traffic lights.

It was believed the speed reduction would prepare motorists for the extra traffic which would come from the major housing development on the city's borders.

The Stanborough Cross works has caused traffic chaos in the area, having been under way since January and is expected to be completed by the end of August.

New work began last week as parts of the central reservation was dug up at the junction of Elburton Road and The Hollows, near the junction of Elburton Road and Stentaway Road and at Elburton Road near the Haye Road junction.

Confusion surrounds the sudden appearance of the cameras.

Despite being asked by The Herald, Plymouth City Council said it was unaware what work was being carried out.

But on Monday morning motorists spotted the first average speed camera pole and housing erected at the Haye Road junction end of Elburton Road and yellow poles installed at the two other locations.

One angry resident has now told The Herald: "We've had eight months of traffic jams and long queues in Elburton with little to show for it.

"There's been zero consultation, no notices and nothing to inform residents these average speed cameras were going up.

"This means a speed limit of 30mph night and day, along one of the longest stretches of road in Plymouth where there has been no accidents for years and years.

"This has been done purely to satisfy a worried police officer, to keep Sherford's developers happy and because the council has no idea how to manage the extra thousands of vehicles trying to get into the city over an already jam-packed Laira bridge.

"The council seems to think everyone in Sherford and Plymstock should ride bicycles to work."

On being told about the installation of the new speed cameras councillor Vivien Pengelly said: "I and my two fellow ward councillors had no idea about this.

"I'm furious. I cannot understand why they're hasn't been any consultation and why on earth haven't the ward councillors been informed?

"Residents have had to endure absolute gridlock across Elburton Road, Vinery Lane, Sherford Road, Reservoir Road for months. It's been an absolute nightmare for residents

"It has been a huge problem and I feel really really sorry for residents who've had to endure this.

"I don't think anyone [at the council] has turned to the residents and said 'we're really sorry for all this'.

"The ward councillors do not approve of these average speed cameras.

"It is really poor traffic management, to put these in place while all the other work is going on.

"It's very easy to say 'oh, it's all about Sherford', but they could've waited until part of Sherford's housing was being used before deciding they needed to change the speed limit on the roads.

"The transport officer said they wanted to keep traffic flowing. Well, it isn't.

"This was all done by the previous administration but I'm sure we will now get the flack for it."

Mrs Pengelly's voice of dismay has been joined by Plymstock Dunstone ward councillor Kevin Wigens, who held the post of the cabinet member for transport at the time of the Gdynia Way development.

He said: "The average speed cameras at Gdynia Way were installed to get us through a safety audit because there was no central safety barrier."

He said he strongly disagreed with not just the installation of the new average speed cameras, but the way the council had failed to inform ward councillors, residents and motorists.

He said: "It is an absolutely outrageous misuse of their [the council's] powers. As ward councillors we knew nothing about it. I'm appalled. We've not been consulted at all.

"I totally oppose it. It's totally unnecessary and there's no justification for it. I want to speak to the transport department. After being informed by Vivien [Pengelly, following a call from The Herald] I've already called Steven Rickets [the current cabinet member for Transport] but have not had a reply yet.

"I'm very angry and upset about it. I was cabinet member for transport for eight years and have been told nothing about this."

A spokesperson for Plymouth City Council said: "A decision to change the speed limit on Billacombe Road was signed on 4 February 2016 by the then Cabinet member for Street Scene. Like all delegated decisions, this was published (http://democracy.plymouth.gov.uk/documents/s69378/Briefing%20Report%20Speed%20Limit.pdf )

"The road was one of many in the proposal to reduce speed limits, but specific reference was made to it as a petition signed by 58 people supporting the move to slow traffic and 13 individual letters of representation had been received. There were also 22 letters objecting to the scheme. The report also outlined the proposal to use average speed cameras to lower speeds.

"The speed limit and average speed camera system recommended result from the safety audit carried out on the developer proposals for Stanborough Cross and in discussion with the police over the last 18 months.

"There was also an advert which appeared in your paper on July 15 with details about the proposed speed reductions."