Consultation opens on lower A149 speed limit
- By Elaine Bird
- 21 February 2020
- North-West Norfolk
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A consultation opening on Friday, 21 February, will allow people to comment on a proposed change in the speed limit on two stretches of the A149 in West Norfolk.
The proposal is to lower the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph on the A149 between Babingley and the Dersingham roundabout, and also between Snettisham and Heacham.
These two sections of the busy road have a poor injury accident record. The southern section between Babingley and the roundabout with the B1440 has had 10 personal injury accidents over the past 5 years, two of which were classed as serious. The northern section between Paper Hall Farm and Heacham has also seen 10 personal injury accidents over the past 5 years with 3 serious and 1 fatality.
Cllr Martin Wilby, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport, said: “The accident data shows that cutting the speed on these stretches of road should help to make the route safer. I’d urge people to take a look at our plans and let us know their views.
“Road users, businesses and local people know this section of the A149 has been the scene of a number of accidents over the years. In addition to the safety cameras which are now up and running, we have been looking holistically at the route and working with local parish councils to put in place a range of improvements which will hopefully further help to make the road safer for the 17,000 vehicles that use this route every day.”
In addition to these proposals to lower the speed limit, a range of safety improvements have recently been made on the A149. Average speed cameras are in place on the A149 between the Knights Hill and Snettisham roundabouts and changes have been made to road signs and markings to improve the Lamsey Lane junction. We have also been working on signing and lining improvements at the Church Road and Folly Road junctions in Sandringham, and Beach Road and Common Road junctions in Snettisham. Future improvements could also see a new pedestrian crossing installed later this year north of the junction of the A149 and Common Road in Snettisham.
People will have until Tuesday 17 March to feed back their views. Once the consultation closes all the responses would be carefully reviewed and a decision made on whether to proceed with the proposals or whether amendments may need to be made. This decision may take up to a couple of months depending on the number of responses received.
See the notice with details of the proposals, and how to respond, on the Norfolk Citizenspace website.