Area 4

Communities in this area:

Chesham Bois
Coleshill
Four Ashes
Great and Little Kingshill
Great and Little Missenden
Cryers Hill
Hazlemere
Hyde Heath and Hyde End
Holmer Green
Knotty Green
Penn and Penn Street
Prestwood
Tylers Green Widmer End
Winchmore Hill

Main roads:

A404 Amersham to High Wycombe
A416 Amersham to Chesham
A4128 Great Missenden to High Wycombe
A355 Amersham to Beaconsfield
B485 Great Missenden to Chesham

Current status

New speed limits were put into this area in January 2006.
We are monitoring the effects of the changes.

We have measured the speeds, amount of traffic and numbers of crashes before the changes. These have been measured again and the results compared.
We have heard the views of those affected by the changes
We have sought the views of district, town and parish councils
An independent market research company has carried out a random telephone survey of 200 people in the area for feedback. This showed the majority of people agreed with the new limits:
   o 71% agreed with the new 30mph speed limits
   o 60% agreed with the new 40mph speed limits
   o 51% agreed with the new 50mph speed limits (9% disagreed, 40% were not sure).
   o We are looking at requests for further changes to speed limits within this area and carrying out site visits.

What happens next

Public consultation on these proposed changes will allow all interested parties to make their views known. (This is taking place from 9th March 2009 to 24th April 2009)

During the public consultation there will be:

Notices about the planned changes displayed in the affected residential areas
Adverts placed in the Public Notices section of local newspapers
Detailed plans at public libraries showing the proposals
Large roadside ‘posters to make drivers aware that changes are proposed
Publicity via press releases and through updates on our website

What you can do

You can take part in the public consultation.

A map showing the proposed limits is available to download at the bottom of this page, together with a summary of why the changes are being proposed and also the formal legal Notices which list all the proposed speed limit changes.

Objections to, support for, the proposals, together with the grounds on which they are made, must be sent in writing, marked for the attention of Laura Witney, Legal Assistant, Legal & Democratic Services, County Hall, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP20 1UA, or sent by email to lwitney@buckscc.gov.uk
The closing date for comments is 24th April 2009.

Deciding the changes

The working group will meet to discuss all the responses from the public consultation and make final recommendations for change.

Implementing the changes

Once the legal documents, the Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO), are confirmed and publicised, the speed limit will be shown by signs and markings on the road surface at the beginning of the lower speed limit.

The police will be able to enforce the new speed limits once all legally required signs and markings are in place.