CRIES for a radical increase in the number of speed cameras currently operating in a town “plagued” by reckless drivers have been levelled at the police.
An “ambitious” proposal for a minimum of ten speed cameras throughout Chesham to tackle people driving at double the limit was put to representatives of Thames Valley Police during a Chesham and Villages Community Board meeting, on Wednesday, September 30.
Cllr Peter Jones demanded the force increase the number of units from “just one” by a factor of ten, adding the public would see the returns “in about three months”.
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He said people slow down for patrol cars and speed up when they are gone, to which Sergeant Roy Evans “totally agreed”, adding he had seen people drive at 60mph in a 30mph limit.
However, his claim was rebuked by Conservative Cllr Nick Rose.
Cllr Jones said: “I hope I am not the only councillor who is plagued with people complaining about speeding drivers? This has been a concern for years and years and I would count it as antisocial behaviour.
“In the whole of Chesham there is just one speed camera at the bottom of Nashleigh Hill. I would like to call for TVP to put in another ten.
“It doesn’t matter what the speed limit is if it’s not enforced. I think you’d get your money back in about three months.”
Sgt Evans promised to take Cllr Jones’ request back to TVP. Adding: “Ten is quite ambitious. Where would ten go?”
Cllr Jones replied: “Four in Chartridge Lane, two in Asheridge, one in Bellingdon, two on the road through Hawridge and Cholesbury, and two in Botley Lane. How many is that?”
The Liberal Democrat added the rural areas are those which are “plagued” by people “going at 60mph in a 30mph limit”.
“If you want evidence, just look at the letters pages of the local media, we all know it’s a problem,” he said.
He added: “Frankly, I think it’s time we stopped whining about it and started doing something about it.”
Cllr Rose dismissed Cllr Jones’ request for ten speed cameras, saying: “Speeding is a problem but it’s not the sort of problem that is going to be resolved by having ten speed cameras.
“We don’t need ten cameras, we need a few speed indicating devices and for police to do random checks because that’s very effective.”
He also disagreed with Cllr Jones’ claim of people going at 60pmh in a 30mph limit. Adding: “Round here there’s too many bends.”
Cllr Mark Shaw recommended mobile speed cameras so people do not become used to their location.
Sgt Evans urged members of the public to report instances of speeding via 101 or online, as opposed to social media.
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