Speed cameras set to monitor drivers on busy Melton roads

The busy town road was one of a number of locations highlighted as priorities this week by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership.

Also on the ‘hotspot’ checklist, where mobile cameras will regularly observe the speeds of drivers, are the A606 Nottingham Road at Ab Kettleby and the A6006 at Wymeswold.

The locations were chosen following community complaints about speeding motorists and speed checks by road safety officers.

Partnership spokesman Jonathan Clarkson said: “The mobile cameras will hopefully act as a deterrent to speeding drivers as well allowing us to carry out enforcement when required.

“The mobile cameras will be located on these roads for a period of time and hopefully they will make a difference.”

Meanwhile, new average speed cameras will soon begin operating on a trial basis along the B676 Saxby Road at Freeby, near Melton, as part of a £500,000 county-wide road safety investment by County Hall over the next year.

The Saxby Road cameras are one of seven locations involved in the scheme, with others on roads at Sharnford, Walcote, Oadby, Groby, Measham and Woodhouse Eaves.

Leicestershire County Council is stepping up its campaign to initially keep the fines from the 12-month average speed camera trial, which could then lead to a further roll-out of average speed cameras across the county.

Leader Nick Rushton has made a direct approach to the Government asking it to consider allowing the council to retain the money generated from fines to cover the installation and running costs of the average speed cameras.

Once the costs have been met, the fines would then revert to the Government. Currently, all the money generated through camera fines is retained by HM Treasury.

Councillor Rushton said: “We want the county’s roads to be as safe as they can be – we owe it to the communities who are affected by speeding motorists.

“If the trial is a success, we’d want to roll it out further but that’s not currently possible so I’m hoping HM Treasury will listen to our case and I’d welcome further talks.”

In a letter to Robert Jenrick, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Rushton said the scheme being piloted in Leicestershire would ‘reduce deaths and casualties, increase long-term revenue for the Treasury and enable Central Government to provide a visible and tangible benefit to local communities.’

He also outlined that the trial will lead to a fall in the use of road humps which complies with Government advice for their removal as an anti-pollution measure.