Councillors’ campaign to slow motoring madness’

NEW 30mph stickers could be displayed on refuse bins at homes in Newtown in a bid to slow “dangerous” speeding traffic. 

The scheme is being proposed by Westbury Town Council’s Labour group after the town council was “inundated” with complaints about what residents have described as a “frightening” problem – and one which they say is getting worse. 

In a complaint to the council one householder said, “It will come as no surprise to you that we have always been concerned about this dangerous traffic driving through Newtown to access the White Horse areas. Recently and especially following the government’s relaxation of lockdown, we have experienced traffic at a volume, speed and noise level that can only be described as frightening.”  

Another wrote, “Over the last few months, lots of vehicles have been coming down Warminster Road with a lot of speed – so much so it has caused my house to rattle and objects to fall off the wall. I spoke to highways who very kindly had the depressions in the road filled. However instead of rattling my house now it has what can only be described as a sort of boom wave goes through the house.” 

Cllrs Michael Amos, Mike Kettlety, Jane Russ, Janet Snooks and Mike Sutton say despite police efforts to monitor and act, speeding motorists seem to be on the increase. 

They say, “The town council has been inundated with complaints and the Labour group are resolved to do what they can to help solve this problem, but our powers are limited.

“One idea that could help is to provide households in the problem areas with speed advice stickers for use on their refuge bins. This is something that other Wiltshire communities have used with reasonable success.”

The free stickers have been handed out to people in other communities by their town/parish councils.

The Labour group said it will be suggesting the scheme to the full council, adding, “We believe that these posters are a simple and relatively cheap way to remind motorists of the speed limit and perhaps make them think about their speed.”