Question

Three years ago a car crashed in to my house, writing off my cars, causing serious damage to my property and killing a passenger in the vehicle. Thursday 30 January the same happened again, the difference this time, we'd sold our property and were due to move out at the end of February, our buyers, understandably pulled out.

Prior to both of these incidents I stood in this chamber on several occasions and asked the Councillors what they were doing about the speed issue in Grazeley, indeed, I asked the same question of the Chief Constable, Shinfield Parish Council, John Redwood and others including Charlotte Haitham Taylor. I also invested in a speed camera gun and provided the police with video evidence of, in particular, a Fiat 500 travelling at 91 MPH outside my property. I also petitioned the local village and provided this evidence to your Councillors.

I've now lost the sale of my property and both my wife and I are petrified the same might happen again. Two lives lost and 6 incidents in as many years outside my property. What are you going to do about this and in what timescale - a verbal 'we will look in to it' will not wash. My next stop is the press - I've nothing to lose now.

Question

Three years ago a car crashed into my house, writing off my cars, causing serious damage to my property and killing a passenger in the vehicle. Thursday 30 January the same happened again, the difference this time, we'd sold our property and were due to move out at the end of February, our buyers, understandably pulled out.

Prior to both of these incidents I stood in this chamber on several occasions and asked the Councillors what they were doing about the speed issue in Grazeley, indeed, I asked the same question of the Chief Constable, Shinfield Parish Council, John Redwood and others including Charlotte Haitham Taylor. I also invested in a speed camera gun and provided the police with video evidence of, in particular, a Fiat 500 travelling at 91 MPH outside my property. I also petitioned the local village and provided this evidence to your Councillors.

I've now lost the sale of my property and both my wife and I are petrified the same might happen again. Two lives lost and six incidents in as many years outside my property. What are you going to do about this and in what timescale - a verbal 'we will look in to it' will not wash. My next stop is the press - I've nothing to lose now.

Answer

The Council and all the Members in this Chamber acknowledge the significant impact that this road traffic collision has had, both upon your household and local residents in Grazeley, as well as the families of the deceased and passenger injured and extends its sympathies to all those involved, particularly yourselves.

A Police investigation into the collision is currently being undertaken and the Council, as Highway Authority, is participating in all relevant aspects of that investigation in pursuance of its statutory duty under s39 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.  The nature and focus of a fatal collision investigation vary from one case to another but, regardless of the circumstances, the overarching objective is to ensure the highest possible standard of investigation are pursued.

It is important to note that measures to deter high speeds are already in place in the village, notably the existing 40mph speed limit, part-time 20mph speed limit outside the primary school and a number of relevant traffic warnings.  However, the Council is currently, in partnership with the police, collating relevant road traffic data, highway and safety information and supporting data to determine what further engineering interventions might be considered to prevent such a tragedy occurring again. 

As you will appreciate, at this stage, much of the information required to inform this consideration is still being assembled and until the investigation is concluded and the outcome of any coroner’s inquest is known, it is appropriate that there should be no statement from the Council about specific proposals.

A full and detailed response will be provided in due course.

Supplementary Question

I understand that the Council do not wish to comment on the current ongoing investigations following the 30^th January accident.  However following the fatal accident in January 2017 please could you advise what process was followed, what measures were put in place to avoid a recurrence, and what criteria were used to determine those measures?

What would it take for that apparent inaction to be changed?  To be clear Wokingham Borough Council cannot now possibly justify doing nothing and risking yet another fatality or further injuries or indeed the bad press that this question will undoubtedly generate?

Supplementary Answer

While we have every sympathy for your situation I am afraid I am going to have to reply to that in writing.