Average speed cameras are now in place along a busy section A-road in Cornwall in response to safety concerns from the local community.
As a key transport route to and from St Austell, the A3058 in Trewoon carries a large volume of traffic including HGVs. With the road effectively cutting the village in two, local councillors and the community speedwatch group highlighted concerns and the SPECS system from Jenoptik was installed.
Councillor Bunney, member for St Mewan and Grampound said: “It is great news that average speed cameras have been introduced – I hope they will make a huge difference to drivers slowing down in the village. They will certainly improve safety and quality of life for residents and road users. Thank you to Cornwall Council and Devon & Cornwall Police for listening to the concerns raised by our community. Since being elected in 2021, I have worked hard on this and delivering these cameras has been one of my key priorities. The people of Trewoon and St Mewan Parish Council have been pressing for these for many years and it is testament to their hard work and commitment to the village.”
John Kneller, chair of St Mewan Parish Council added: “Whenever we have held Community Speedwatch sessions on the A3058 in Trewoon we regularly found over 10% of vehicles exceeding 35 mph. This is a busy road which intersects the village and pedestrians felt threatened by traffic when crossing the road or walking on the pavement including to St Mewan School.”
Sally Bourton from Trewoon Post Office, commented: “I am thrilled we finally have average speed cameras in Trewoon, it’s been a long campaign that locals have fought for. Huge thanks to all that were involved and to St Mewan Parish Council for backing the scheme. The reduction in speed through the village is really noticeable already, many customers have commented that it’s now a pleasure walking to the shops and being able to safely cross the road.”
Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, added: “The local community have been very clear in their support for measures which encourage drivers to slow down. However, as this is a strategic route, there are limited engineering options available to make physical changes to the highway.
“I would much rather drivers respected speed limits in place to protect residential areas than for speed cameras or highway changes to force them into it. But where there are issues, we will work with communities to assess the need and possible solutions.”
Supt Adrian Leisk, strategic lead for roads policing and chairman of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership’s enforcement subgroup, enthused: “Average Speed Enforcement Schemes have a proven record of reducing speeds and achieving very high levels of compliance with the posted limit. Local communities have campaigned hard for these to be installed and we are delighted to be working with our Vision Zero South West Partner, Cornwall Council in ensuring that the scheme is effectively enforced. The camera columns are painted bright yellow and there is clear signage that an ‘Average Speed Check’ is in existence, so please take note and observe the speed limit.”
The County Council says it remains committed to road safety and while requests for speed reduction measures often exceed the level of funding available, it reviews issues raised and prioritises schemes accordingly.
(Picture – Cornwall County Council)
