ILMINSTER NEWS: Thousands of motorists are speeding through the town

A SEARCH could soon be launched to find volunteers to help spearhead a new Community Speedwatch group to help improve “horrendous” speeding problems in Ilminster.

There are growing concerns about the speed of traffic going through Ilminster with various hotspots having been identified by members of the town council.

It has been suggested by some councillors that a Community Speedwatch group could help to encourage motorists to take their foot off the gas when driving in Ilminster.

It comes following discussions at last month’s full meeting of Ilminster Town Council when the results of recent “speed indicator” checks were discussed.

Cllr Rob Drayton said that there had been 21,705 recorded speeds of between 30mph and 40mph along Station Road between November 10-24, 2015. There were also just under 2,000 recordings of people going between 40mph and 50mph and nearly 100 going in excess of 50mph.

“These figures seem to be pretty horrendous,” he said. “I hope we will be looking at these further – but it looks as if speeding is a big problem.”

PC Andy Stuart, of Ilminster Police, said that a number of the “speed indicator” results might be to do with emergency vehicles rushing to incidents.

But Cllr Carol Goodall suggested that perhaps the council should look at resurrecting a Speedwatch group – one of which had been operating some years ago and had since folded.

She said there were other areas in Ilminster – as well as Station Road – which struggled with speeding drivers such as at Listers Hill and Townsend.

“We need a regular Speedwatch group around the town so that people don’t always know where they are going to appear,” she said. “We should never under-estimate the power of the volunteer Speedwatch group.

“If you see a person in a yellow jacket with a camera you automatically slow down and that is what it is all about.”

But members of the town council’s planning, highways and transport committee last week tried to play down their actual involvement in any possible scheme.

Cllr Philip Burton said: “I don’t think we should volunteer for this and we shouldn’t have much to do with it.”

Cllr Val Keitch said Community Speedwatch would be backed by the police with equipment and training.

But she added: “The problem will be finding the volunteers in the first place.”

They agreed at their meeting last Tuesday (February 9, 2016) to have talks with the local police to discuss the Community Speedwatch idea further.

Motorists who are caught speeding by the Speedwatch group are sent an advisory letter about their actions and to think more about the speed they drive at. Repeat offenders will eventually get a visit from the police.

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