Over the last 12 months since 13th May 2021 the Chelford Community Speedwatch group has completed 39 Speedwatch events in the village. These have taken place at various locations on different days and times throughout the week including weekends and each session is for 1 hour. All activities are authorised and monitored by the police. All group members are vetted and trained by the police and are required to sign a declaration that they are willing to testify in Court, should the police require them to do so.
Of the 39 sessions,18 have taken place at the originally allocatedlocationsthe corner of Chelford Farm Supplies and the Bus Stop in front of the former Nat West bank.13 have taken place at the Village Hall after this was added to the approved locations list in November 2021 and8 at the Telegraph Pole opposite the Whitehouse which was added to the approved locations list in March 2022. All locations are determined by the police after appropriate health and safety checks.
The average number of recorded offences per hour at these locations over the last year was :
Chelford Farm Supplies / Bus Stop : 18
Village Hall : 36
Telegraph Pole : 26
Overall average : 24
Before August 2020 the highest number of offenders recorded in a session was 11 but this data relates only to the Chelford Farm Supplies / Bus Stop areas. Post Covid the number of offenders recorded at those locations appears to be up by 64%.
In terms of speed -practical constraints of recording data, means we cannot record every single vehicle speeding. However, the highest speeds recorded over the last year from vehicles going through the Village are :
67mph – 26th April 2022
60mph – 30th April 2022
52mph – on both 23rd March 2022 and 13th May 2022
51mph – on both 2nd June 2021 and 21st April 2022
(Pre pandemic cars travelling at 57, 56 and 54mph were not uncommon)
Of these high speeds one 51mph offender was recorded at the Bus Stop / Farm Supplies. The other 5 were all recorded at the new telegraph pole location opposite the Whitehouse, which has only been approved since March 2022. Whilst we have had numerous cars speeding in the high 40's at the Village Hall site it appears that the stretch of road from the Egerton Arms into the village is a particular problem. This is because some drivers are failing to adjust their speed coming out of the 50mph zone. The Village Hall location is similarly true for those emerging from the 40 mph zone heading towards the railway bridge, but also many vehicles increase their speed as they come over the bridge heading towards the roundabout.
It appears that considerably more cars have been speeding through the village since the end of lockdown. Our ability to monitor the entrance and exit points to the Village centre has highlighted the true extent of the problem.
Speedwatch Team