Is it time for speed bumps to go? (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Is it time for Malmesbury speed bumps to go

9:40am Saturday 30th January 2010 in News By Tina Robins

TRADERS and residents are to be asked if they want to be rid of Malmesbury’s controversial town centre speed bumps.

The angular box-type obstacles, brought in years ago in by the former county council against the wishes of town councillors at the time, have been blamed for damage to cars and for deterring visitors with back problems.

A recent bid through the Malmesbury area board to have them removed or altered, was rejected by Wiltshire Council highways.

But now a new report following research by the Department of Transport has concluded that speed bumps are not necessary in 20 mph zones.

And Malmesbury Town Council wants to know if there is enough public support to get rid of them once and for all.

Planning committee chairman Bill Blake, who made the earlier request to the area board as a private citizen, told the Standard: "I believe they are costing local people quite a lot of money in repairs to their cars and I believe there is a lot of support for getting rid of them. People are fed up of them."

And when he approached local garages they reported replacing a surprising number of suspension springs in recent years.

Warranty Direct claims that nationally, up to six percent of damage to suspension systems can be linked to sleeping policemen with average repair bills in the region of £240.

Cllr Blake decided to try again when he spotted a report about a Department of Transport trial in Portsmouth, which found that installing 20mph signs was enough to slow drivers down. "They are not recommending the installation of these humps any more," he said.

When the planning committee met on Tuesday he and Cllr Ray Sanderson won backing for a survey to determine whether a move to have them taken out or at least modified would have support.

The results will be collated taken to the area board.

Cllr Martyn Snell said they were effective in slowing traffic and local people were the worst offenders.

He warned there would be no policing of the 20mph speed limit if they were removed. It was time to start giving priority to pedestrians and should the bumps be taken out, crossings and other measures would have to be put in.

Cllr Sanderson said he had sought advice from town centre design specialists who had told him the boxes should not be there.

As well as damaging cars they were damaging ordinary trade within the town. "I have had people with neck and back problems tell me that whenever they go over these bumps they suffer pain."

As a result they avoided the town centre.

A survey is set to go out in the next town council newsletter but residents can make their views known by writing to the town clerk or emailing speedbumps@malmesbury.gov.uk.