Councillors have backed community calls to cut speed limits on three rural roads despite evidence from road engineers that data doesn’t justify the £100,000 cost.
For almost two years Torphichen Community Council has been leading a campaign to have speed limits cut on three country roads in Bathgate’s rural hinterland.
They include Cathlaw lane running into Torphichen, Slackend crossroads and the Westfield village road.
The council, and residents in the area, cite blind bends and summits, narrow winding roads and poor pavement and footpaths as the main problems.
However it’s the 40mph speed limit on theses roads which has been the biggest bone of contention.
Villagers say this encourages speeds in excess of that and the limit is too high for dangerous conditions .
Roads engineers have carried out extensive surveys however, and say results do not show drivers speeding and therefore changes are not needed.
And they say the he only way to cut traffic speeds is by carrying out traffic calming work - which comes at a cost
A motion raised at the council Executive this week asked for further reports.
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Labour’s Andrew McGuire said that he agreed with the community council that the 40mph was too high for the roads.
The issue was not speeding drivers but the conditions not being suitable for 40mph speed limits, he said.
He and Councillor Stuart Borrowman, the independent councillor for the ward have been pressing for traffic calming measures to be introduced, arguing that the council should listen to the experiences of those who use the rural roads daily.
Councillor McGuire’s motion said: “Council Executive notes the responses to the statutory consultation and the recommendation not to proceed however council executive also notes the extreme concern by many in the local community with regard to the speed limits not being appropriate for the road conditions.
“Council Executive therefore calls for a further report to be brought to a future meeting of the Council Executive outlining the options for works which would be required to implement the speed reduction measures in the outlined locations should the traffic order be made, as well as costs associated with them.’
A report by roads engineers to the Executive said: “As previously reported, it is the view of officers that any speed reduction from 40mph to 30mph on the B8047 Westfield Road, the B792 Slackend and Cathlaw Lane will require physical traffic calming measures to be installed to be effective.
“There is currently no council budget available to carry out any works of this nature.
“The estimated cost of this proposal was in the region of £114,000 and was reported to the Council Executive previously.
“Although the feedback from statutory consultation exercise was limited, it was supported by Torphichen Community Council.
“The response does not raise new, legally relevant, material considerations that would cause officers to alter the recommendations made in the updated report that was considered by Council Executive on 22 February 2022.
“It is still recommended by officers that, based on the evidence and data gathered regarding the original deputation request for a reduced speed limit, there remains no speeding or road safety issues on these three routes.”
Councillors backed the Labour motion by eight votes to two.
An amendment was proposed by Tory group leader Councillor Damian Doran-Timson called for reports to come back to the full council as there were financial material implications for all areas of West Lothian and he cited three areas in his ward alone where roads had inappropriate signage or drivers ignored speed limits including Mid Calder. East Calder and Coxydene.
It was defeated.
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