10th November 2005

Stroud District Council held the 'Safer Streets for Everyone' conference yesterday exploring new approaches to tackling road danger, congestion and regeneration. Over 70 people attended the hugely successful conference including councillors, representatives from the Police, Highways, Traffic Safety, Private contractors, and many local groups.

The speakers included (timetable enclosed below):
- Ben Hamilton-Baillie, an Urban Design and Movement Specialist, who is one of the top three people developing this approach in Europe.
- Mahmood Siddiqi, the Chief Traffic Engineer for Kensington & Chelsea, London, where one of the more innovative schemes is prooving to show significant drops in accident figures and has won many awards.
- Alexandra Luck, Accident Investigation Engineer and Ann Haigh, Chair of Bibury Parish Council, who were involved in the innovative scheme in Bibury, Gloucestershire.
- Andrew Vine, Transport Policy Officer for English Heritage who was involved with the national 'Streets for All' campaign which included how to clear the clutter from our streets.

Sarah Lunnon, a District Councillor in Stroud, said: "I congratulate the administration on hosting this seminar, in particular the day would not have been the success it was without the support of the Leader of Council, Chas Fellows. This day has been immensely positive with many of us keen to further explore this new approach to our roads and see if we can implement some trial schemes locally. Stonehouse Town Council has already engaged Ben Hamilton-Baillie to report on how Stonehouse High Street could benefit from this approach"

Sarah Lunnon (pictured above in Bibury where some of this approach has been adopted) said: "Some roads are clearly single purpose routes for traffic to get from A to B. It is the others, in residential areas or town and village centres that are of interest in this approach - the shared spaces where people meet, shop, linger, chat and move around either walking, cycling or driving. In these areas research has shown that removing highway signage and signals like traffic lights, speed bumps, right of way indicators, centre lines, speed-limit signs, bicycle lanes and even pedestrian crossings, can infact make roads safer."

Philip Booth, who co-authored with Sarah Lunnon the new "Better Streets for Stroud District" report that has further encouraged interest in these new ideas, said: "This approach is particularly exciting in that it can reduce congestion, reduce personal injuries and make our environments more pleasant places. This in turn is good for our communities, local economies and more."


Free to download from SDC website

The 'Better Streets' report which has already been widely welcomed by many including the Mayor of London's Road Safety Ambassador, Road Safety groups, and a Professor of Sustainable Transport at Liverpool has just been revised, updated and improved in an easy-read format with examples of schemes from abroad, this country and in Bibury where Gloucestershire is using this approach in one of the first rural schemes in the country. It can be downloaded free from: the Stroud District Council website or see under Reports on this site.

SAFER STREETS FOR EVERYONE PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY

Wednesday 9th November 2005 12.30pm  - 4.30pm at Ebley Mill, Westward Road,
Stroud GL5 4UB

Programme
12.30 - 1.15pm Buffet Lunch
1.20 - 1.25pm Introduction
Chairman - Councillor Chas Fellows, Leader of Council (Deputy for the
conference Councillor David Wride)
1.25 - 2.05pm "Why don't we do it in the Road? Reconciling people, places
and traffic."
Speaker : Ben Hamilton-Baillie - Urban Design and Movement Specialist.
2.05 - 2.25pm Questions
2.25 - 2.45pm  "Streetscape Design in the Royal Borough"
Speaker : Mahmood Siddiqi - Chief Traffic Engineer from the Royal Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea, London.
2.45 - 2.55pm Questions
2.55 - 3.15pm Refreshments
3.15 - 3.30pm "Going naked - the Bibury experience!"
Speaker :  Alexandra Luck - Accident Investigation Engineer, Road Safety,
Gloucestershire County Council 3.30 - 3.40pm Questions 3.40 - 3.45pm
"Bibury, The Parish Council View"
Speaker : Mrs Ann Haigh - Chairman of Bibury Parish Council.
3.45 - 3.50pm Questions
3.50 - 4.05pm  "Streets for All"
Speaker : Andrew Vine - English Heritage, Bristol Office
4.05 - 4.15pm Questions
4.15 - 4.25pm  "The Stonehouse View"
Speaker : Cllr Chris Brine - Stonehouse Town Council
4.25 - 4.30pm Questions and Close