Former commoner Sarah Weston slams lack of progress on speed camera feasibility study for B3078 Roger Penny Way

A FORMER commoner who is campaigning for average speed cameras after the death of her pony has spoken of her disappointment at the lack of progress on the scheme.

Sarah Weston set up a petition to introduce cameras after her pony Juma suffered fatal injuries in a collision with a car on problem road the B3078 Roger Penny Way in 2021. This loss resulted in her giving up commoning.

But despite the petition being signed by around 75,000 people and promises by the district and county councils, national park authority, verderers and Hampshire Constabulary to look at installing cameras along that road, little progress has been made.

In October 2021, the authorities committed to ordering a feasibility study, which, to date, has not been undertaken.

Mrs Weston told the A&T: “Having been present at the meeting which gave overwhelming support for a feasibility study, I was very disappointed and frustrated to be given no information about progress, which organisations were involved, and who I should go to for an update.

“Eventually I had to resort to a Freedom of Information request. I feel reassured that something is actually happening, albeit that a year has already gone by while the organisations decide what the terms of their study will be and the feasibility study itself has not been started.”

She added: “Despite the efforts of the police speed checks on roads such as Roger Penny Way, officers cannot be everywhere at once and there was only a minimal decrease in the number of animals killed last year.

“Roger Penny Way is still a horrible accident black spot despite the fact that it’s open on both sides for much of its length.

“If the average speed cameras were set up they would act as a permanent deterrent and a way of enforcing the law.”

A spokesperson for the district council said it could not confirm a date for the feasibility study due to the “number of technical aspects that remain to come together”.

The spokesperson said there was “strong commitment” to move things forward, adding: “We are meeting with partners regularly to discuss the technical work that is required to inform the feasibility study on introducing average speed cameras.

“This includes, for example, reviewing traffic survey data, which will confirm the scope of the scheme and subsequent supporting infrastructure requirements.”

Gilly Jones, who is a practising commoner, spokesperson for social media group New Forest Roads Awareness and member of the Animal Accident Reduction Group, works with the police to carry out regular community speed watch operations, dubbed Op Mountie, along the route.

She told the A&T: “It really is the sooner the better, and if we decide average speed cameras won’t work then I hope we come up with another solution to stop speeding in the forest.”

Raising the topic at a recent meeting of the Verderers’ Court, Lord Manners said: “Gilly Jones has put in an enormous amount of time and effort. Thanks are due to her and all the other volunteers who have participated in Op Mountie.”