'Noise' main problem of SLR for residents

June 06 2022

Vehicles running along the Southern Link Road skirting St Peter’s are not necessarily speeding despite being noisy residents have been told.

PC Louise Steele of West Mercia Police’s Battenhall Nunnery Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) made the point during the most recent PACT (Partners and Communities Together) meeting at St Peter’s Village Hall.

St Peter’s parish councillor Paul Walters, who organised the meeting, said: “The reason we don’t see the boy racers on St Peter’s Drive is because they’re on the SLR, enjoying themselves.

“That’s where we have asked for another speed camera.”

PC Steele said: “We have had numerous complaints about the speed limit on that particular road,” but added: “Just because it’s noise doesn’t mean they’re speeding.”

She explained she had spoken to colleagues in traffic management about the issue following “numerous complaints” about the speed limit on the A4440 SLR and had been told to direct complaints to West Mercia’s Road Safety Team.

She added that 54 offences had been reported on the SLR in 2021, most of them during the same month.

Mr Walters said: “The problems on the SLR are identifiable for people living near there.”

Steve Mackay, who represents St Peter’s as a Conservative member of Worcestershire County Council and Worcester City Council, said: “I have had confirmation there will be more noise monitoring taking place late this year.”

He believed a potential solution was cameras triggered when vehicles exceeded a decibels limit.

He said: “It’s noise that is the problem here. It’s the noise that’s affecting the residents.”