Swindon may withdraw funding for speed cameras

16 July 2008
 
Swindon Borough Council is looking at withdrawing its speed camera funding, because it says the money could be better spent on engineering measures.

Tory councillors at the borough are behind the plans after research indicated cameras were not the most effective way of reducing collisions. They are also annoyed that revenue raised by cameras heads straight to Whitehall coffers.

Council leader, Roderick Bluh, said the Tory-run council was considering withdrawing the £400,000 to £500,000 it put towards the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership.

He told Surveyor research by his colleague, and cabinet member for transport, Peter Greenhalgh, indicated there would be better ways to use the money on the roads, namely, permanent engineering measures such as traffic calming.

Bluh added that using the funds elsewhere made sense because the council was unable to use revenue from cameras as it all went to central government.

‘This may be a way of investing more money in our road-calming measures locally,’ he said. ‘We are not going to compromise safety, but we are taking the opportunity to review how we utilise the money. We have not made a decision yet.’

Labour MP for South Swindon, Anne Snelgrove, who is parliamentary private secretary to transport secretary Ruth Kelly, accused the council of ‘playing politics with lives’. She claimed removal of the cameras could see road accidents and deaths rise, and launched a ‘Hands off our speed cameras’ campaign.

Swindon’s cabinet is due to consider the plans to withdraw from the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership by September.

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