The tiny Thanet village of Acol has narrow roads that are little more than the cart tracks built for its farming community before the advent of motorised transport – totally unsuited to our 21st century traffic and the fact that the roads have become high-speed “rat-runs” across the Isle. Acol villagers’ fear of this now dangerous environment has devastated its once thriving social hub. In the “good old days” pedestrians could safely share the roadway with the occasional horse-drawn vehicle, but now the lack of pedestrian and cyclist provision mean that most people are unprepared to venture out other than by car. The few prepared to don their hi-vis vests to walk to local amenities have learned to exercise an abundance of caution, but most can recount tales of their near-misses. It can only be a matter of time before serious injuries and death occur.

As well as the volume of traffic, speed is a major factor. Traffic “calming” unfortunately has had little effect other than to add noise nuisance to the danger. Astonishingly, Acol Hill, a short, narrow, rural road with no pedestrian provision, a bend in its middle and houses at the top and bottom is sign-posted at the national limit, because of which many southbound vehicles enter the village and its treacherous junction at Nursery Fields far too fast. Village feeder roads from the west - single track lanes, also at the national limit – present similar problems and although Minster Road, from the south, has a 50-mph limit, that also is too fast.

It seems likely that the speed limits in and around Acol were last properly assessed over 40 years ago when the volume of traffic (prior to the advent of satnavs) would have been minimal and when it would have been rare for two-way traffic to have to negotiate our narrow lanes.  There were fewer properties in Acol, with hardly any on street parking. Even national government now encourages review and the setting of 20 mph speed limits and zones.

We therefore petition our local authorities, Kent County Council and Thanet District Council, to undertake an urgent review of all our local speed limits and, especially, to impose a maximum speed limit of 20-mph through our village. For safety’s sake, in Acol, “Twenty is Plenty”.