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West Coats Primary School Parent Council

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West Coats Primary School Parent Council West Coats Primary School Parent Council Mr John Boyle Dr. Elena Fawcett Enterprise Resources 35 Brownside Road Roads and Transpofiation Services Cambuslang G72 8NH South Lanarkshire Council Montrose House, Montrose Crescent Hamilton MI-3 6LB 1510412012 Dear Mr Boyle, Results of Speed Survey Brownside Road / West Coats Primary School over I year after installation of 20Mph Part time mandatory signage in response to proyen speeding on Brownside Road from previous Survey April 2009 On behalfofthe Parent Council West Coats Primary School Cambuslang I would like to thank you and your team for organising the Speed Survey at Brownside Road/ West Coats Primary School and sending a copy ofthe results to us. We have had the oppofiunity to discuss the results and further actions required at our Parent Council Meeting on 24th January 2012 and also during a Road Safety Meeting on 16th Febnrary 2012 involving the HT Mrs Sheila Lynch, Sgt Derek Kavanagh, Dr Elena Fawcett as Parent Council Road Safety Co-ordinator and the Crossing Patrollers serving the 2 junctions around the school. In addition to the data received from SLC we requested under the Freedom oflnformation Act data ofall RTAs within immediate school vicinity over the last 3years (copy attached); received in March 2012. After analysing the data ofthe Speed survey on Brownside Road/ West Coats Primary School you supplied we would summarise our results as follows: r West Coats Primary School Payent Council Data were presented for 5 working days during school traffic hours taken mornings and aftemoons at 2 locations, one similar to April 2009 at West Coats PS and second location moved from 20 Brownside Road(2009) to 48 Brownside Road as nearer the 20mph part-time signage. The data were presented as speeds of 85th centile which means that 15% ofdrivers will drive at a higher speed than presented. Location 1: Outside West Coats Primary School Momings Westbound average 85th centile speed: 32.8 MplV change from 2009 is -0.6MpH Eastbound average 85th centile speed: 33.6MplV change frorn 2009 is +1.8MpH Aftemoons Westbound average 85th centile speed: 33.4MplV change from 2009 is +l.8Mph Eastbound average 85th centile speed: 30.8MplV change from 2009 is +1-0MpH Location 2: 48 Brownside Road (near Junction Douglas Drive) Momings Westbound average 85th centile speed: 34.0 MpH Eastbound average 85th centile speed: 33.8 MpH Afternoons Westbound average 85th centile speed: 32.4MpH Eastbound average 85th centile speed: 33.0 MpH We do not agree with the SLC compa.ring the data of 20 Brownside Road from 2009 with the data at 48 Brownside Road in 2011 as the distance from the school and Road layout would not allow for as much speeding closer to the school-we have therefore not included "change" details. West Coats Primary School Parent Council In summary, there solid evidence of persistent and overall increased speeding with 85th Centile speeds ranging from 30.8MpH to 34.0Mph in the 20Mph mandatory zone. This is an 85th Centile speed in excess of 10.8-14Mph during school traffic hours and does not even include the 157o of drivers driving at potentially much higher speeds. The Parent Council at the meeting in January 2012 has discussed the content ofthe letter and leels that 85th centile speed ofup to 34MpH in a 20 MpH mandatory zone during school traffic hours is completely unacceptable. The Senior Management Team ofthe school agreed. Sergeant Derek Kavanagh and the School Crossing Patrollers Jimmy Meehan and John Raffety also felt that speeding ofthis magnitude needs to be taken seriously and addressed. In your letter you mention that you have consulted with the Community Police Team of Cambuslang West and that the police confirmed that they will underlake an action plan of enforcement. Sergeant Derek Kavanagh who is Head ofCambuslang Police Team has not been involved in any such discussion and has no knowledge ofsuch an action plan being produced. Further he confirmed that other than spot checks with laser speed guns there is very little the police can do to reduce speeding of such persistent nature and magnitude. The accident data of the previous 3 years within close range of the school confirm 24 recorded accidents with 13 casualties, The Parent Council with support from the Head Teacher, Senior School Management Team and Community Policing Team for Cambuslang feel strongly that the 2OMph part-time mandatory speed signage has not been of any benefit and that more effective measures are urgently needed to prevent serious speed related accidents involving pupils and parents/carers causing potentially very serious harm, The Parent Council with support from the Head Teacher, Senior School Management Team and Community Policing Team for Cambuslang is therefore requesting the installation of speed cameras on east and west side of Brownside Road to effectively reduce speeding and lower the risk of injury accidents during school traffic hours. We look forward to hearing from you shortly and are interested in closely co-operating with your Deparlment to address this issue as a matter ofurgency. Yours sincerely Dr. Elena Fawcett, MD FRCGP Enterprise Resources Executive Director Colin McDowall Roads and Transportation Services - Transportation Engineering Dr Elena Fawcett Our ref: TEM\JB\22\29 West Coats PS Parent Council Your ref: 35 Brownside Road lf calling ask for: John Boyle Cambuslang Phone: 01698 453603 G72 8NH Date: 6ih June 2012 Dear Doctor Fawcett Results of Speed Survey at Brownside Road/West Coats Primary School Further to my correspondence of the 26th April my investigations are now complete and I can repo( the following. I was concerned with the view from the Parent Council that our communication with Community Police Team of Cambuslang West was not confirmed by Sergeant Derek Kavanagh. We have since learned, after discussing the matter with Sergeant Kavanagh, that the previous officer involved in this matter, Sergeant Mclaughlin, is currently on long term sick leave. From what I understand, any discussions between South Lanarkshire Council and Sdrgeant Mclaughlin including sending a copy of my correspondence to the Parent Council dated 21"1 November 20l 1, may have been mislaid, or at the very least, not passed on to other officers. Notwithstanding the above, Sergeant Kavanagh has confirmed to us that speeding action days have been carried out by Strathclyde Police close to West Coats Primary School and at several locations including Brownside Road. Both Groups confirmed that no vehicles were contravening the speed limit. Sergeant Kavanagh has also confirmed that the Community Police Team of Cambuslang West will maintain contact with the Parent Council at West Coats Primary School and endeavour to assist in any way they can. Furthermore, since my last correspondence I have discussed the speed enforcement question with the Road Police Unit based in Motherwell. I can confirm that they will be engaged in enforcement activity on Brownside Road over the coming weeks. I note your research and subsequent data wiih regard to the accident history on the surrounding road network in the Cambuslang area. I understand your concern when the data you have received confirms 13 casualties on the roads listed. Notwithstanding the serious nature of such data, the number of incidents within the data attributed to Brownside Road and associated junctions are 7. Ol the 7 incidents, the predominant collision factor recorded is 'impairment by alcohol' which accounts for 4,2'failed to look properly' and the remaining incident was recorded as 'disobeyed Give Way or Stop sign markings'. Overall 5 resulted in a'non injury'severity rating and 2 were recorded as 'slight'. Montrose House, 154 Montrose Crescent, Hamilton ML3 6LB Phone: 08457 406080 Fax: 01698 453600 Text Phone: 01698 454039 Email: enterprise. [email protected]. uk .r \ v.--.1 ffi Regarding your request for a speed camera, I can comment as follows. The decision to install a speed camera resides with the Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership which is a joint working initiative with other official organisations such as the Police and other local authorities. The main objective of the partnership is to help reduce the number of road crash casualties at recognised accident locations in the West of Scotland. For a camera to be installed at any location priority is given to sites that have the greatest accident and speeding problems. lt is emphasised that funding through the Scottish Safety Camera Programme is provided for accident and casualty reduction. lt must not be used simply to implement local speed or traffic management initiatives. New qualifying camera sites should be selected using an assessment that includes the level of fatal, serious and slight accidents. The combined level of accidents will be expressed as a point scale (see table below) and assessed relative to both the road classification for the site, whether it is either a 'built up' or'non-built up' area and according to the type of site it is i.e. fixed, mobile or red light. Fatal or serious accident = 5 Points (i.e. 2 Serious lnjury Accidents = 10 points) Slight accident = 1 Point (i.e. 5 SIight lnjury Accidents = 5 points) 'Built up Area'is a road with a speed limit of 40 mph or less.* 'Non-built up Area' is a road with a speed limit of 50 mph or more." * As defined by Reported Road Casualties Scotland. Points required to meet the criteria for a fixed camera in a built up area are 22 and for a mobile camera in a buiit up area are 11 over the most recent three year perioci. A fuller explanation of the Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership and the other criteria used to decide where camera's are positioned can be found on their web site at the following address; http.//nrww.strathclvdecameras.
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