ROAD POLICING UNIT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS COMMAND Your Ref: CMS-1023-MM Our Ref: TMW/060/15/IWJ Date: 26th March 2015 Contact Name: Ian Jeffrey Email:
[email protected] Mobile: 07979 245516 Dear Mr Moore, West Sussex County Council (Ansty and Staplefield and Cuckfield) (Brook Street (B2036)) (30mph Speed Limit) Order 2015 - Statutory Consultation I refer to your letter of formal consultation, dated the 19 th March 2015, in respect of the above matter. The police position remains unchanged since it was outlined in our informal response to the Authority in an email dated the 19th December 2013. Whilst Sussex Police acknowledge the aspirations of the local community, the fact remains that decision making in respect of speed limit setting must remain objective and based upon established engineering principles and the Department for Transport guidance as published in their document Circular Roads 1/2013. Whilst it is noted the Member’s easement to the WSCC Speed Management Policy granted in 2010 avoids the requirement for the proposed speed limit to meet the speed and route assessment criteria, the fact remains it does not reflect the underlying principles as outlined in paragraph 27 of Circular Roads and therefore cannot be supported by the police. The reason the Police are consulted upon any new traffic regulation order is for them to make a professional assessment and comment upon possible compliance levels and potential Crime and Disorder Act issues which could be generated following its introduction. /cont… Mr M Moore, Legal Officer, Joint TRO Team, Ground Floor, Northleigh, County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1QT Police Station, Ham Road, Shoreham By Sea, West Sussex BN43 6DB Website: http://www.sussex police.uk To assess how appropriate a new speed limit is likely to be, it is necessary to establish the mean speed of traffic using the road.