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VILLAGE NEWS
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH (NHW)
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
101 NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER
Over a year ago it was agreed that all non-
emergencies should be reported by calling 101. On
occasion you could be on the phone for ten to fifteen
minutes; the call will cost 15 pence on landlines and
your mobile network.
The 15 pence cost of the call goes to the telephone
provider; the police call handler prefers a direct call
from the resident who is concerned; or anyone is sus-
picious of any activity; communication through a third
person could mean a vital piece of information is lost.
The number came into being part of Government’s
national scheme to make 101 the single non-
emergency number for the police in England and
Wales. 101 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. The system will identify where you are calling
from and connect you with the local police for that ar-
ea.
In an emergency always call 999 – for example, when
an immediate response is needed because a crime is
happening, someone suspected of a crime is nearby
or someone is injured, being threatened or in danger.
Callers should use 101 to report less urgent crime or
disorder, to contact the police with a general enquiry
or to speak to a local officer.
If the incident is recognised as an emergency, the op-
erator or police call handler will put the caller through
to 999.
Your village NW Coordinators are:
Clive Williams 811828 Richard West 811467
20s Plenty for Buckden
and Stirtloe
Update on the 20mph
limit campaign
Thank you all for your support to date. We are
pleased to announce that Stirtloe have joined the
campaign and that the 20’s Plenty Campaign petition
has now gained over 500 signatures. This repre-
sents a considerable section of the Buckden and
Stirtloe adult population. We have also had fantastic
support from local businesses, the School, Pre-
School and Nurseries together with the Doctors and
Dentists in the Villages.
20 mph speed limit - why do we want to do this?
Quite simply, some people drive too quickly around
and through the villages, and this poses a risk to pe-
destrians (young and old) and other road users such
as cyclists. According to the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents (RoPSA), a pedestrian
struck at 20mph has a 97% chance of survival; this
falls to 80% at 30mph (and 47% for over 65s) and
50% at 35mph.
Why put a 20mph across the whole village?
The
issue is not confined to the School area; many resi-
dents are concerned about several roads through
Buckden and Stirtloe, especially the through traffic
from the A1. Also, evidence from the implementa-
tion of other schemes across the country suggests
that it is less confusing for drivers and cheaper to
implement if there is just one change to the speed
limit as you enter the village.
Will it work?
Evidence from 20mph implementation
elsewhere shows that average speeds reduce by up
to 7mph once implemented. Any reduction counts
as even a drop of just 1mph reduces road casualties
by 6%. In Lancashire, where they have 20mph in all
their Villages, casualties are down by almost 30%.
Is anybody else doing it?
Yes, it is becoming the
National default speed for urban areas, cities such
as Cambridge and Manchester have successfully
reduced to 20mph and more local areas such as
Sandy and Potton village now have 20mph zones.
Do you have view on this?
Come and have your
say on Saturday 4
th
July at the Buckden Village Fes-
tival. We will have a stall to hold a public consulta-
tion and will be seeking your views about the safety
on our roads.
You can find out more from our website:
www.buckden.20splentyforus.org.uk and sign the
petition online there too.
Thanks again for your continued support
20’s Plenty Campaign Team
Do you know where and what this is?
Answer next month!