...especially for a Thursday.

Thank you for pushing the figures up yet again - we're now over 66,000. 

Yesterday I wrote to Desmond Swayne, M.P. about Average Speed Cameras on the B3078. As I suspected he is not in the least bit interested and said first of all: "The location of speed cameras are not a Parliamentary issue over which I have any leverage. Local partnerships between the police and elected councils determine where they should best be placed. You may wish to raise this with your County Councillor." Well, tick - we have done that.

When I pressed him to consider supporting the ring-fencing of fines for the installation and maintenance of the cameras, he said: "Sorry also to disagree about hypothecation. The money goes into the 'consolidated fund' to pay for all Government spending. Hypothecation might distort proper priorities." My concern is that the police will never be able to find/justify the funding for Average Speed Cameras but at least we are on our way with a Feasibility Study (the progress of which I will continue to monitor).

When I pledged Juma's insurance money for the funding of the Feasibility Study, I received a very pleasant letter from Mr Read, the Chief Executive of New Forest District Council which also gave some indication of current progress:

"Sarah thank you for your e-mail and your kind offer of a donation.   It was good to hear your presentation at Full Council, I could tell how passionate you are about reducing the speed of vehicles travelling on Roger Penny Way.

As we are still at the very early stages of this initiative can I ask that you keep hold of your donation and when the time is right we will have a further discussion with you.  Councillor Heron has now written to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and to the Leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Keith Mans to arrange a meeting to discuss how we can progress this. I am hopeful that meeting will take place very shortly.

Thank you once again for your kind offer, we will be in contact shortly."

I have still not received any communication or indeed acknowledgement from a number of organisations. Nor have I yet received the answer to the Freedom of Information request.

Whether or not we have influenced the actions of the police, it was good to see another long stint of speed monitoring and enforcing on 1st November. I was delighted to see that they have issued proceedings against 47 drivers on this occasion and that they were definitely present after dark. 

Nothing will bring my Juma back, but a local family have just lost their son as a result of a collision with a car while he was simply riding his bike. Devastating for them. It strikes me that all users, all of us with rights to use the road - including the depasturing of animals in National Parks, horse-riders, cyclists, walkers, anyone (and we all pay for the roads through our taxes) - need to reclaim the roads. Perhaps this fight for the planet will result in a change of attitude towards the manner and speed at which people drive. 

Photo: Juma being taught road sense by his mother and his Aunty