Herts County Council have refused the Parish Council’s request to have the speed limit between the “trident” junction at the top of Gravel Path and the entrance to Potten End village reduced from 50mph to 40mph.The decision by Mark Kemp, Director of Environment and Infrastructure at HCC, was notified to the Parish Council via our County Councillor, Terry Douris. The Parish Council are not satisfied with this response and will be making urgent further enquiries.
The Parish Council believes that the speed limit should be reduced because:
- The road in question cuts through a wooded area, and deer frequently cross the road. There have been many incidents involving collisions between deer and cars, with devastating results for both. Locals know to slow down, but others do not.
- The distance between the change from 50 to 30 and the junction for the village school is very short, and many drivers fail to slow down from 50.
- This stretch of road has no lighting, and only a narrow slip of pavement on one side – but nevertheless has been deemed a safe walking route for children to get to school.
- The introduction of a 50mph limit for a short, 850metre (half mile) stretch between a 40 mph zone and a 30 mph zone only introduces more driver confusion and is probably a historical anomaly that should be rectified.