Brockham was the focus for Surrey Police's county wide launch of Community Speed Watch as part of their Surrey Road Standards initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour on the county’s roads.

The BBC spent the day in Brockham putting together pieces for BBC News 24 and the national lunchtime and evening national news.

BBC News presenter Robert Hall interviewed PC Ken Wheeler, Road Casualty Reduction Officer, Nick Caddick, Chairman BGVS and Fergus Walker CSW volunteer.

Prime time TV and radio is essential in publicising the message that Brockham will not tolerate anti-social motorists and although CSW may not be a long term solution it is producing real benefits now.

In twelve months from Sept 2004 to Oct 2005 the 85th percentile speed has fallen 16% from 49mph to 41mph.l

Recent figures show that over 5,500 vehicles travel through the village daily (the equivalent of one every 15 seconds) and 47% are illegally travelling in excess of 35mph.

Indeed over 17% are travelling over 50mph.

The worst offenders seem to now be goods vehicles. The fastest recorded speed in October was a medium goods vehicle at 86mph.

Community Speed Watch

8 February 2005

Improved data handling targets offenders

Improvements in data technology now link Brockham to other schemes in Move Valley, which means that offending motorists can be tracked between villages and persistent offenders can be targeted by police action.

Community Speed Watch has now been operating in Brockham for nearly eight months. During this time the latest figures show that general speeds have fallen over 8mph to around 40mph. While this is still well above the speed limit this shows how effective Speed Watch has been. Over twelve hundred motorists have been reported.

Certainly the difference is noticeable, however CSW and Surrey Police would like to tackle the 30 per cent of drivers who still insist on speeing through the village.

Thanks should go to the CSW volunteers who have given up valuable time to contribute to this success story.

Community Speed Watch

December 2005

Brockham CSW features on BBC Southern Counties Radio

On Tuesday 30 August Brockham CSW featured on the Ed Douglas Show, BBC Southern Counties. Interviewed alongside Casualty Reduction Officer PC Ken Wheeler and a spokesperson for the RAC, BGVS Chairman, Nick Caddick said that the scheme was proving very successful and that the objective was not to 'catch people out' but to break life threatening and anti-social behaviours by some motorists.

A phone vote on the station received a 70% for CSW schemes and 30% against.

Over 200 motorists were reported in July and August bringing the total to over 1,000 in 5 months.

Strict enforcement will be used alongside the scheme to support the work of the volunteers who have given up considerable time to address this blight in our Village.

Schemes are now operational in Leigh, Westcott, Headley, Boxhill and Newdigate, with further schemes planned for Betchworth and Horsley.

Community Speed Watch

September 2005

CSW May Report

The Brockham CSW has been operating for three months now and there has been a some improvement in traffic speeds through the village.

In May, 206 vehicles were reported for speeding, with a top speed of 61mph along Middle Street. This is in spite of volunteers wearing high visibility jackets and putting out signs.

We hope to publish further statistics from the previous two months as a comparison.

Brockham is now joined by CSW schemes in Boxhill, Leigh and Headley. Newdigate and Westcott will follow shortly.

In the meantime if you would like to help in the efforts of the CSW team, please contact Road Casualty Reduction Officer, PC Ken Wheeler on 01306 676857.

Community Speed Watch

June 2005

Brockham Community Speed Watch

The Community Speed Watch scheme is now up and running in Brockham thanks to the support of volunteers and Surrey Police.

The aim is to combat anti-social behaviour caused by excessive speeding through the village theatening the lives of the residents and affecting the quality of life for its residents.

At the time of going to press, 94 vehicles caught speeding, will be issued with warning letters. They will be informed that should they be monitored travelling in excess of the speed limit again they risk having their car impounded under a Section 59 notice.

The scheme is supported by the Parish Council and the Brockham Village Green Society.

March 2005

Online survey prompts CSW

After an online neighbourhood survey of residents in Brockham, Betchworth and Buckland over 75% indicated that excessive speeding was their main cause for concern.

Just to put it in perspective, their next main area of concern was vandalism which achieved 40% of the poll.

This is in line with British Crime Survey figures of 2004 which indicate 43% are concerned with speeding and 28% with vandalism.

A recent traffic survey along Middle Street at Oakdene Road, showed over 5,000 traffic movements a day many of which were travelling at speeds in excess of 45 miles an hour. A top speed of 84 mph travelling into the village was also recorded.

Clearly this is unacceptable and while the police have increased their monitoring of the traffic their resource can be better allocated to tackling areas of antisocial behaviour, violence and crime in the Borough.

After discussions with and the support of the Brockham Green Village Society and the Parish Council, the police offered the village an opportunity to take part in a Community Speed Watch programme.

Community Speed Watch is running throughout the country and is proving to be very successful. Brockham, Westcott and Boxhill have all been identified as areas that would benefit and funds have been made available for a programme to begin.

The CSW programme entails residents working with Surrey Police to identify key areas where speeding is a nuisance. Residents, in pairs, then monitor traffic at their discretion and identify offenders exceeding the speed limit. A note of the offending vehicle's index number is made and at the end of the monitoring period the log is sent back to Surrey Police. A letter is then issued indicating that Community Speed Watch is in action in the village and would the offender please adhere to the speed limits. Two or more letters to the same offender will result in further police action.

While the CSW programme is designed to target traffic using the Rural Box as a rat run from Dorking to Crawley and vice versa, residents have to understand that they will not be immune from action. Residents cannot be hypocritical about the speed of traffic if they themselves do not adhere to the limits.

It is hoped that through this action and a gradual expansion through the rural box to villages such as Leigh, Capel and Newdigate that the quality of life and safety for the communities will be improved.

If you would like to find out more about the programme and feel you can help, please contact Road Casualty Reduction Officer, PC Ken Wheeler on 01306 676857.

MORE ABOUT YOUR SPECIALIST OFFICERS

PC2411 Lisa Wells pages at Surrey Police, for Brockham and Betchworth

http://www.surrey.police.uk/borough_nso.asp?nsoid=2411

PC3480 Michelino Vaccaro pages at Surrey Police, for Dorking South

http://www.surrey.police.uk/borough_nso.asp?nsoid=3480

PC3135 Martyn Savage pages at Surrey Police, for Rural Affairs

http://www.surrey.police.uk/borough_nso.asp?nsoid=3135

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