MOTORISTS who use the bus-only gate at The Ham as a cut-through to avoid any delays along Station Road and The Ham, could soon be fined for ignoring the restrictions.
Westbury Town Council are looking to solve rat-run issues at the area near Slag Lane by agreeing in principle to pay £20,000 towards the cost of an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera. The ANPR camera would fine motorists that wrongly use the bus gate to avoid any delays along Station Road and The Ham.
No date for installation of a camera has been given, but Wiltshire Council’s Local Highways and Footways Improvement Group (LHFIG) are set to meet this week, where more information, such as timeframes, will be established.
A traffic speed survey was undertaken at The Ham bus gate between 14th and 20th September 2019, and it showed that 759 vehicles (not including bicycles) had used this access point.
At a town council meeting this month, councillors voted to agree in principle to cover the costs, £20,000, of an ANPR camera.
At the meeting, cllr Ward Jones said, “As the person who proposed this previously, I’m really anxious that this is supported – not least because there have been so many problems relating to the Slag Lane and Frogmore Road area, and I think this will be a huge boost to local residents to see that this is actually happening.”
Enforcement at the bus gate will fall to Wiltshire Council – they will also collect any fines that are given to motorists.
Westbury Town Council’s previous scheme to improve the lighting, roads and footpaths along Slag Lane and Frogmore Road was rejected due to it not being deemed a priority against a restricted budget. The town council hope that the new ANPR stand-alone scheme will now be given the go-ahead. The scheme will be discussed this week at a meeting of Wiltshire Council’s Local Highways and Footways Improvement Group (LHFIG).
Speaking to the White horse News, cllr Jones added, “We have had a great deal of concern expressed about speeding on Slag Lane and misuse of the restricted through road between Slag Lane and the Ham.
“This ANPR camera will allow monitoring and potential prosecution of those who choose to ignore restrictions. £20,000 is a lot of money, but it is a cost we have to pay to deal effectively with an ongoing problem.
“I sincerely hope this scheme will be taken up in the not-too-distant future, not least because of its focus on pedestrian safety on the stretch of Frogmore Road which runs between Slag Lane and Rosefield Way.”
The cost of this scheme will not come from the town council precept but rather from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a charge that local authorities can set on new development in order to raise funds to help fund the infrastructure, facilities and services – such as schools or transport improvements – needed to support new homes and businesses.
