Uned Rhyddid Gwybodaeth / Freedom of Information Unit

Response Date:26/03/2019

2019/293 - Speed Cameras

In response to your recent request for information regarding;

Could I have a list of your speed camera locations please?

Location of Cameras A5104 Pontybodkin, Sir y Fflint/A5104 Pontybodkin, A5104, Bryneglwys-Corwen, Denbighshire A5104, Bryneglwys-Llandegla, Denbighshire A5104, Corwen-Bryneglwys, Denbighshire A5104, Llandegla-Bryneglwys, Denbighshire A5119 , Sir y Fflint/A5119 Sychdyn, Flintshire A525 Heol , Coedpoeth, Wrecsam/A525 Heol Maelor, Coedpoeth, Wrexham A534 Ffordd Holt, Wrecsam/A534 Holt Road, Wrexham A539 Llangollen-Trevor, Sir Ddinbych/A539 Llangollen-Trevor, Denbighshire A541 Ffordd Yr Wyddgrug, Wrecsam/A541 Mold Road, Wrexham A548 Ffordd Wellington - ger Orsaf Heddlu, Y Rhyl, Sir Ddinbych/A548 Wellington Road - by Police Station, Rhyl, Denbighshire A548 Maesglas, Sir y Fflint/A548 Greenfield, Flintshire A548 , Sir y Fflint/A548 Mostyn, Flintshire A548 Oakenholt, Sir y Fflint/A548 Oakenholt, Flintshire A548 Towyn, Conwy A549 , Sir y Fflint/A549 Mynydd Isa, Flintshire A55 Rhuallt Hill Westbound, Denbighshire A55 Rhuallt Westbound, Denbighshire A550 Gladstone Way, , Flintshire B5118 Rhodfa Gorllewin, Y Rhyl, Sir Ddinbych/B5118 West Parade, Rhyl, Denbighshire B5129 Pentre, Sir y Fflint/B5129 Pentre, Flintshire Stryd Bodfor, Y Rhyl, Sir Ddinbych/Bodfor Street, Rhyl, Denbighshire

In each case please state if the camera is a digital camera or a wet film camera.

In relation to your request, we can confirm that information is held. However, concerns have been raised in relation to disclosing the information requested. Therefore, a Public Interest Test has been carried out to weigh up the reasons for and against disclosure; to ensure the release is in the interest of the public as a whole and not just the applicant.

The Public Interest Test has considered the following exemptions;

Section 38 (1) (a)(b)(c) Health and Safety Section 31 (1) is a prejudice based qualified exemption and there is a requirement to articulate the harm that would be caused in confirming or not that the information is held as well as carrying out a public interest test.

Overall Harm for Section 38

To provide the locations of the wet film cameras together with information already provided, would lead to the cameras being ineffective. We know there was speeding at the sites and so the cameras were installed, which saw compliance with the speed limit and reduced collisions. Any inference that we do not use these cameras any more, while they are visual deterrents to speeding, would arguably see increased speeding which is an increased safety risk. The link to speeding and collisions or outcomes of collisions is well documented in the public forum. Notwithstanding, it undermines all fixed cameras (wet film) in and may also be a concern for our colleagues in the rest of the UK. Flintshire have a bid in to upgrade theirs for 2019/20 on safety grounds which supports the continued safety need for the cameras. It’s covered in guidance under “visual deterrent” https://gosafe.org/media/1945797/criteria-v6.pdf - page 16.

Safety cameras are used to make roads safer and help to save lives not to make money or catch motorists out. Cameras are there to encourage motorists to drive within the speed limit.

All locations of cameras are already available on the GoSafe website https://gosafe.org/calibration-certifcates/camera-search/.

It must be remembered that any disclosure under Freedom of Information is a disclosure to the world rather than to a particular applicant.

Factors favouring disclosure of the information Section 38 (1) There is a public interest in the police service being open, honest and transparent and providing information requested may go some way to ensure that we are being transparent about cameras sites. Disclosure would allow motorists to make decisions about their driving.

Factors favouring non-disclosure of the information Section 38 (1) Speed cameras are placed at location with speeding/collision history, they are used to make roads safer and help to save lives not to make money or catch motorists out. The visual deterrent is enough to save lives.

Balance Test North Wales Police will not divulge any information that would place the safety of an individual at risk or undermine law enforcement. Disclosure of wet film sites together with information already released would increase speed at these sites putting lives in danger. Whilst there is a public interest in the transparency of policing, there is a very strong public interest in public safety. Consequently, after considering the points against disclosure we feel that to release the wet film sites would have a negative impact on Go Safe operations on reducing speeding at these sites and would not be in the public interest. All camera sites are already available to the public.

Therefore, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice under section 17 (1) of the legislation.

THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000, AND IS CORRECT AS AT 14/03/2019