A297 St Helier Avenue Mordon change of speed limit
Request ID: FOI-1835-2425 Date published: 19 September 2024
You asked
Hello FOI team, please disclose the following information under the Freedom of Information Act (2000): 1. Per month, how many speeding fines were issued following camera activations along St Helier Avenue (A297) between 1 January 2024 and 1 September 2024? 2. Per month, how much money did this generate? 3. Of these fines, how many were successfully appealed? 4. How many complaints, if any, have been made in relation to the speed limit reduction to 30mph for the A297? 5. What plans, if any, are there for improving the speed limit signage along the A297 to communicate the speed limit reduction?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1835-2425
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 5th September 2024 asking for information about speeding on the A297. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. Your questions are answered in turn below:
Question 1. Per month, how many speeding fines were issued following camera activations along St Helier Avenue (A297) between 1 January 2024 and 1 September 2024?
And;
Question 2. Per month, how much money did this generate?
And;
Question 3. Of these fines, how many were successfully appealed?
Answer: TfL does not hold the requested information. It is the police, rather than TfL, that enforces speed limits on London’s roads. You will therefore need to redirect these questions to the Metropolitan Police, which can be done via its website here:
Note that the income from fixed penalty notices and court fines is not received by TfL or the police, but is paid to HM Treasury. Some of the income from speed awareness courses is returned to TfL and the police to offset the cost of safety cameras, including police enforcement.
Question 4. How many complaints, if any, have been made in relation to the speed limit reduction to 30mph for the A297?
Answer: Between 1st January 2024 and 1st September 2024 our Customer Services team has received three items of correspondence about the speed limit on the A297.
Question 5. What plans, if any, are there for improving the speed limit signage along the A297 to communicate the speed limit reduction?
Answer: A 30mph speed limit was introduced on the A297 St Helier Avenue between Rosehill and Morden Hall roundabouts, and a 20mph speed limit introduced at Rosehill roundabout, in March 2024. The A297 and Rosehill roundabout were reduced from 40mph and 30mph respectively. Morden Hall Road to the north of Morden Hall roundabout remained at the existing 30mph posted speed limit. To implement the 20mph speed limit at Rosehill Roundabout, in accordance with Department for Transport guidance on Setting Local Speed Limits, a “buffer” of at least 600m needs to be provided on the approach to the change to 20mph from 40mph. If this was not provided, there would be a high risk of road users failing to adjust their vehicle speed in good time and entering the roundabout at too high a speed for the posted speed limit and road layout. The differential in vehicle speeds may lead to an increased potential for personal injury collisions. Considering the need for a buffer north of Rosehill roundabout, this would then result in St Helier Avenue being subject to several speed limit changes along its length, from 40mph south of Morden Hall roundabout, 30mph north of Rosehill roundabout and then 20mph at the roundabout itself. This would likely lead to increased confusion for road users. Hence a consistent 30mph speed limit was proposed along the length of the A297 between its existing position on Morden Hall roundabout and north of Rosehill roundabout. In accordance with paragraph 8.3.1 of Chapter 3 of the Traffic Signs Manual, “…to ensure that drivers are fully aware of the speed limit in force it is recommended that repeater signs are provided at the intervals shown in Table 8-4 (see 8.3.4). Schedule 10 General Direction 2 prohibits the use of 30 mph repeater signs where a road has a system of carriageway lighting. Section 82 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 defines a lit road as being a “restricted road” (see 8.1.2). Section 81 specifies that the speed limit along such a road is 30 mph unless an order has been made to impose another limit and remove the restricted road status.” As such the road is determined to be subject to a 30mph speed limit by virtue of the presence of street lighting and no further speed limit repeater signing is permitted. The proposals were subject to local engagement in November 2023 as well as statutory consultation of the permanent traffic order in December 2023 to inform road users of the proposed changes. Prior to the changes to the signing and lining on street, letters were circulated to local residents and businesses in February 2024 to inform them of traffic restrictions that could be in place whilst the new signs and lines were being installed and that the new speed limits would come into operation on 18 March 2024. We do not currently have any plans to alter the speed limit or signing along this section of the corridor.
If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
