Friday, 5 May 2023
Nottinghamshire County Council is looking for residents’ views on enforcing moving traffic offences at two sites in Newark and West Bridgford.
The county council is planning to apply for new powers from the Government to enforce moving traffic offences and has identified the junction of Radcliffe Road and Trent Boulevard in West Bridgford and the ASDA access off the B6166 Portland Street in Newark as potential locations for enforcement.
Currently only the police can enforce moving traffic offences, which include stopping in a yellow box junction and ignoring banned left or right turn signs, but recent changes to legislation now mean that local authorities can apply to enforce these offences through the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
The yellow box junction on Radcliffe Road and Trent Boulevard has been chosen for enforcement due to the high number of vehicles queuing on the markings at peak times which blocks access from other streets.
Any potential enforcement would also cover the ‘no left turn’ instruction out of Trent Boulevard onto Radcliffe Road which endangers pedestrians who are crossing.
The ASDA access off the B6166 Portland Street in Newark has been identified as an enforcement location as a large number of motorists are attempting to turn right into the store, despite the ‘no right turn’ sign. This means that traffic builds on other routes in the area.
Penalty Charge Notices for moving traffic contraventions are set nationally and are currently £70, with a 50% discount offered for payment within the first 14 days.
The county council would now like the views of residents and motorists on the potential future enforcement at these sites. More information including maps of the sites, frequently asked questions and a link to the online survey can be found on the county council’s website: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/movingtrafficenforcement
People have until 20 June 2023 to comment on the plans.
Mark Walker, Service Director for Place at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Currently only Nottinghamshire Police can enforce moving traffic offences in Nottinghamshire, but the legislation change means that the county council could use these powers at identified sites.
“We are considering applying to the Department for Transport (DfT) for these powers because we recognise that despite clear signage, some restrictions on the road network are now being followed, which is resulting in safety concerns and congestion.
“Road safety remains a high priority for us at the county council and we want to do all we can to make Nottinghamshire highways as safe as possible for all road users.
“Evidence suggests that the use of ANPR cameras by other local authorities has been effective in ensuring compliance.
“We have chosen two locations in Nottinghamshire which are both congested and see a high number of contraventions each day, and motorists who ignore these restrictions are putting other road users in danger.
“We are keen to hear from as many people as possible about the potential enforcement at these sites and all responses will be considered by the county council before any application for these powers is made.
“The earliest date for enforcement beginning would be Autumn 2023 and we will keep residents and motorists updated throughout the application process.”
