Community Speedwatch

Thank you to all the local drivers who have shown support for the volunteers taking part in the Community Speedwatch during February and March 2017.

In most cases, drivers spotted the hi-viz jackets and boards, and simply slowed down if they were doing more than 30mph. This is exactly what the team were hoping for! Surprisingly few vehicle details needed to be noted during the one-hour sessions, which were held over a six week period.

There will be another opportunity in early September for Collyweston to borrow the equipment for Speedwatching. And more training sessions are being held before then, if you weren’t able to volunteer this time.

April 2017

This is Bill, delivering the posters and other equipment for ‘Slow Down Collyweston’, our community speedwatch.

The snow was flying as he arrived on Friday morning – and snow is one of the weather conditions that prevent Speedwatch from operating, as the flakes interfere with the laser beam.

Volunteers will be out at the 5 approved sites along the A43 and The Drove over the next 6 weeks, aiming to raise awareness of the need to watch your speed on our roads.

February 2017

Community Speedwatch is changing 

– and it means we can go ahead and get started!

Community Speed Watch has now been running for 3 years. In August 2015, Northamptonshire Police, who run the scheme, conducted a survey to gather the views of parishes. As a result of the feedback, it was decided to implement some changes to the scheme. From Spring 2016 the following changes will happen:

 Changes to the pledge requirement: Currently a parish needs signatures from 500 residents or 20% of the electoral roll register, whichever is fewer, in order to participate in the programme. From Spring the pledges are not required provided a parish can meet one of the following requirements:

       Either there is the support of the Parish Council/Town Council/Ward
 Or there is a support of a local “Sponsor”. Sponsors represent the wider community so can be local schools, large businesses or community groups in favour of the scheme. Sponsors do not make any financial contribution as the scheme remains free. They just need to make the pledge on behalf of the community they represent.

  Changes to the training provisions: 6 training sessions will be scheduled across the year, usually at the weekend in Northampton. However Northamptonshire Police are willing to run sessions in various locations across the county and be flexible on days e.g. a week day, provide certain requirements are met.

 

  Introduction of roaming volunteers: A team of ‘roaming volunteers’ will support all CSW schemes with ad-hoc activities. These volunteers, in groups of 3, will attend localities where an existing scheme requires support.

 

 Police support: Every month 4 dates will be released when Officers will be available to support Speed Watch activities, on a first come first served basis.

 

 Warning letter: The warning letter will be changed to be more educational and to influence a driver’s behaviour long term. 3 detections will lead to a visit from Northants Traffic Police Officers.

 

 Communication: Results will be sent to all coordinators approximately 2 weeks after activity has ended, including data box information gathered, number of warning letters sent and number of vehicles stopped or cautioned, where appropriate.

For more information about any of the above changes or to join Speed Watch , please email: Kamila.Kemblowska@northants.pnn.police.uk.                                                February 2016

How many times have you had a near-miss on the A43 or the Drove because someone was driving too fast? The Police do as much speeding enforcement as they can in Collyweston, but they have a very large patch to cover and there are too many blackspots every bit as dangerous as ours. 

One thing we can all do about this is to get behind a new Community Speedwatch scheme for Collyweston. Even if you can’t become a volunteer, trained to operate the speed gun and record the details of speeding vehicles, you CAN still help those who will – by signing the petition in the village shop, or at the Christmas Fair in the village hall on November 21st, or by leaving a comment on this page or at Collyweston Village Stuff on Facebook. Or you can email collypc@btinternet.com or drop the parish clerk a note at 19 Westonville.

As soon as 20% of the village population shows it is behind the scheme, Collyweston can register with Northamptonshire Police to join the waiting list of communities wishing to do more to make their roads safer. Only after that, will anyone be looking for coordinators and volunteers to make the scheme work. The sooner we get off the starting-blocks….

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