SPIDs consultation feedback 2025

Information on the two LCC sites were shared with the community. Comments were received from 12 residents, 4 against the SPIDs, 3 pro SPIDs, 5 requesting further information about the reasoning behind the sites. These have been shared with Cllrs for their consideration.  

Cllr Harrison summarised the process so far in obtaining the assessment for location of SPIDs and choice of SPIDS and fittings – As a result of being approached separately by 7 different households with concerns about the speed of some traffic on Wennington and Hornby Road, a concern shared by 4 of the Councillors, and Primary School for concerns on School Hill, the Parish Council felt obliged to look in to options for speed calming around the village, working initially with Lancashire Police to gain an assessment of average speeds. Lancashire Police assessed the 85th percentile to be at 30.8m.ph on Horny Road, 30.4m.ph on Wennington Road, 14.9m.p.h on Main Street. At this level, there is no requirement for the Police to intervene. The Parish Council then corresponded with local and country councillors, Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council to see what options were available. This led to obtaining the “Slow down, save lives” banners and stickers and information that Parish Councils can purchase their own SPIDs to use as traffic calming measures. The Council enquired about speed bumps, reduced speed limit, a buffer zone, zebra crossings etc, but were always met with the same answer of the average speed not indicating a requirement for such measures as per their guidelines, and as there had been no fatalities on the road, there was no call for these measures. The Parish Council were not satisfied with this response and felt that it was better to be proactive in this situation rather than wait for a serious accident to occur. As such, the only option available was the SPID cameras.  The process for determining locations of these cameras is laid out by LCC and requires that the Parish Council decide which type of SPID they would purchase before an assessment of possible locations can take place. Initially lamppost mounted SPIDs were concerned, but there are significant costs involved with charging the batteries, moving and relocating them and restrictions on which lampposts could hold them. Most of the lampposts in Wray are heritage, and may not be structurally sound to support the SPIDs. It is possible that some may have newer bases which could support the SPID, but each location would have to be assessed and each results in a fee. Therefore the Parish Council determined that solar powered SPIDs would be the better option in the long term. As solar powered SPIDs require a set infrastructure (designated pole) they have an exemption on requiring to be moved, but could still be rotated to face in either direction. LCC were then able to come out to Wray and complete an onsite assessment for the locations the Parish Council had suggested along Hornby/Wennington Road. The 2 sites on the consultation were the 2 locations LCC determined met all the requirements. There was no suitable site on School Hill for a solar powered SPID. The Parish Council confirmed they would consider these locations, which then enabled the site to be assessed by LCC engineers to ensure the met all legislation requirements. They did, at which point, the Parish Council was able to consult with the community about these sites. 

Following feedback from the consultation process, the Parish Council proposed to return to LCC and request site assessments for lampposts around the village (sites to be selected) and possibility of a solar location by the Meal Bank Bridge on Wennington Road. The Council agrees that the current proposed locations may be too close into the village to serve the desired purpose of slowing vehicles down on their entry/exit to the village. The site in Wray Chapel car park could still work, especially for reminding cars to obey the speed limit as they leave the village along Hornby Road.