| A meeting between the Executive Member for Highways, local county councillor, council officers and the lead petitioner is due to take place on 10 March 2017 to formerly receive the petition and also to hear from the lead petitioner about the issues raised within the petition. These concerns have been considered and investigated by officers, and discussed with the local county councillor. The county council does not have any current plans within its works programme to implement any changes along B197 or to provide the measures suggested by the petition. The speed limit outside both schools is 40mph, which is considered appropriate for the road. The county council’s approach to the application of speed limits must be consistent if it is to be understood and complied with by the majority of drivers, as well as being consistent across the country. Therefore, the county council’s approach to setting speed limits follows Department for Transport’s circular 01/2013, which is laid out in the county council’s Speed Management Strategy. http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/transtreets/ltplive/supporting/speed/ The B197 outside both Oaklands Primary School, Great North Road, and St. Michaels Primary School, Mardley Hill have not been considered for safety measures because neither road section has a poor injury collision history. The county council encourages schools to identify their road safety concerns through the formation of a School Travel Plan. Oaklands Primary School and St. Michaels Primary School have been invited to work with the County Council's Safe and Sustainable Journeys Team to each develop a School Travel Plan for their respective schools. The purpose of a School Travel Plan is to set out a package of measures and actions to reduce the number of car journeys on the school run and to increase the number of active and sustainable journeys, such as walking and cycling. Having a school travel plan has a number of benefits for the school and the local community. These include a reduction in local congestion, more active and healthy pupils and adults and an increase in road safety awareness. Plans are written by the school in consultation with its pupils, parents and staff and sets out a school's commitment to promoting safe (road safety), active and sustainable travel to and from school. The plans should be regularly reviewed and reflect current local travel and transport issues. The plans can also help local partners, such as highways, parking services and local planning authorities, to understand the school's transport and travel issues. On a more positive note, Woolmer Green Parish Council has been working in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council implementing proposals to encourage lower vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian accessibility on B197 through Woolmer Green. Completed engineering measures included footway build-outs, road narrowings, road markings and signage. Before and after traffic speed data was captured and evidenced a general reduction in overall vehicle speeds and has improved the overall environment and provision for pedestrians. Ongoing monitoring will continue to confirm whether the scheme continues to improve road safety as desired. In addition, the county council has been made aware that the local county councillor, on behalf of local organisations, has made a bid to Police and Crime Commissioner’s Road Safety Fund. It is understood the bid, if successful, would fund a traffic study along B197 from The Clock roundabout to Knebworth border, to identify where improvements could be made which address the concerns of the local community. The Police and Crime Commissioner will announce which bids have been successful through his web site: http://www.hertscommissioner.org/2016-12-commissioners-road-safety-fund-reopens |