Hampshire County Council has cut ‘non-safety related traffic management schemes’ and invited smaller authorities to fund such projects themselves.
Hampshire is inviting smaller councils to pay for minor signs
It said this approach would ensure that it ‘prioritises road safety measures within the reduced resources available to it [the council]’.
According to the county council, when it consulted on options to meet a £98m funding gap, one of residents' preferred proposals was to significantly reduce work on traffic management schemes that are not led by safety or legal requirements.
The new policy prioritises investigation where there are currently accidents resulting in injury, so funding can be targeted to tackle the causes.
The type of traffic management enhancements it said town, parish, district and borough councils and community groups might wish to consider funding include village gateways, traditional finger post signing, vehicle activated speed limit reminder signs and minor signs and carriageway lining alterations.
Rob Humby, the council's executive member for environment and transport, said continued cuts to Government funding had caused it to return to a policy of prioritising its resources on road safety education and safety measures where it has evidence that they will reduce casualties.
He added: ‘Nevertheless, I completely understand that local communities value traffic calming and traffic management measures in towns and villages across Hampshire.
'Therefore, where a scheme is not prioritised by the county council on proven safety grounds, we have put in place a system for town and parish councils, and local residents' groups, to fund some straightforward local traffic management enhancements themselves, which the county council will help to develop and implement on their behalf.’
The council said all proposals from local councils and community groups would be subject to assessment ‘in order that any new measures are consistent with those implemented by Hampshire County Council across Hampshire’.
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