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Traffic Calming

Cllr Glenn Smith has been actively working with residents to sort out the Traffic Calming situation in Covingham since being elected in May 2003.

Traffic Calming History

A brief history of the activities surrounding the removal of the speed cushions in Covingham.

• May 2003, Glenn Smith canvassing during the local elections became very aware that the traffic calming in Covingham was not acceptable to the residents. He vowed to represent them on the council and do his best to follow their wishes.
• May 2003, Cllr Glenn Smith was elected and within first week of office had meetings with the transport officers to discuss the matter.
• May 2003 onwards, Cllr Glenn Smith receives numerous phone calls and letters opposed to the humps requesting their removal.
• June 2003, Cllr Glenn Smith arranged for a public meeting, which is called for early September.
• August 2003, Public consultation letters go out to 2000 homes in Covingham and Coleview inviting views and to attend public meeting.
• August 2003, Transport Public meeting in Civic Offices shows strong views from Covingham residents.
• 4th September 2003, Covingham Traffic Calming meeting again shows only the minority actually like the humps. Attended by over 100 people, all bar a few request the humps be removed, agreeing they want safer roads, but not like this.
• September 2003, Full Council, Cllr Glenn Smith puts a motion to request the humps be removed. Passed to cabinet pending a report owing to finatial implications of request.
• December 2003, Cabinet modify slightly the motion and pass it back for Full Council.
• Janurary 2004, Cllr Glenn Smith again speaks on the modified motion to Full Council. A recorded vote takes place where all Conservatives vote in favour of their removal in line with residents wishes and Labour and Lib Dems vote against the desires of the residents they represent.
• April 2004, Report generated from the results of the consultation as request by Cllr Glenn Smith  in motion in Janurary comes to cabinet. All Conservative cabinet members vote for and the Labour Leader against. Again Cllr Glenn Smith speaks in favour of listening to residents and is pleased the cabinet choose to do so, although is upset that Labour are happy to continue to ignore residents.
• Early May 2004, the Labour and Liberal Democrate members of the Scrutiny group choose to delay the additional measures that the residents wanted by passing the report back to the cabinet, stating the Traffic Calming Task Group report should have been presented first.
• 9th May 2004, Cllr Glenn Smith appears on BBC West's Politics Show discussing with local residents about the speed humps
• May 19th 2004, Cabinet accepted the Traffic Calming Task Group report and evaluate if the original decision for the additional measures is correct or needs amending, but chose to send the report back to scrutiny with a message stating they believed their original dicision was still valid.
• May 21st 2004, the speed cushions on Covingham Drive were moved.
• November 2006, Cllr Glenn Smith organised a public consultation meeting, run by Halcrow, a consultancy firm employeed by the borough, to talk to residents on what they did like and did not like about the humps.
• Janurary 2007, Cllr Glenn Smith has been working with the Highways team and Halcrow on ways the scheme could be improved.
• February 2007, Cllr Glenn Smith has been working with the Highways team to try to find funding to change the scheme based on the residents suggestions.
• March 2007, A public meeting will be set up to show the results of the consultation and the ideas the consultants have for changing the scheme.

News Articles

Covingham Speedhump Update
Additional Road Safety For Covingham
Humps are still causing ripples
Councillor Report December
Cllr Smith talks to BBC Radio Swindon over Speed Humps
Resident's Letter on Speed Humps