ANPR and Width Restrictions

Rachel Maclean Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd March 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Rachel Maclean)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Dean Russell) on securing this end-of-day debate. May I take this opportunity to commend him and councillor candidate Carly Bishop for their tireless efforts in representing so well the views of the residents and motorists of Woodmere Avenue and the wider Tudor ward to find a solution to the issues that he has outlined? I hope that Carly and the residents of Woodmere Avenue are watching. We in the Government totally understand the desire for that common-sense pavement politics approach. Of course I will do everything in my power to help my hon. Friend advance the case, but I do not think he needs much assistance; he is doing it very well at the moment on his own.

I will start by setting out some background on where responsibilities for traffic management issues such as this lie. Managing traffic on local roads is a matter for local traffic authorities. They have a range of duties, powers and responsibilities on them in doing so. Local councils have a wide range of powers and tools available to help them manage their roads, including the ability to restrict access to roads to certain types of vehicles through width restrictions.

It is a matter for local authorities to decide whether a width restriction is the right solution for a particular road, taking into account local circumstances, and to design such restrictions appropriately. Traffic signs for width restrictions are prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. The Department has provided advice to local authorities on using these signs in chapter 3 of the “Traffic Signs Manual”, which is available free online. The Department advises that the width shown on the sign should be at least 6 inches less than the actual available width. If the signed width is, for example, 7 feet, the actual width between the bollards should be between 7 foot 6 inches and 7 foot 11 inches.

Last year the Government announced that they would implement the moving traffic enforcement powers in part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. That will enable those local authorities outside London with civil parking enforcement powers to apply to the Secretary of State to take responsibility for enforcement of a number of moving traffic offences. Work is under way on drafting regulations and statutory guidance, but it is not possible at this stage to say exactly when in 2021 the powers will be commenced.

I must also explain that part 6 powers would not help resolve the situation in Woodmere Avenue in the way that my hon. Friend has set out. Width restrictions are not included in the list of offences that part 6 powers would be used to enforce. Along with other safety-critical restrictions, such as height and weight limits, they will remain the responsibility of the police, and the Government have no plans to change the legislation to include width restrictions.

By design, width restrictions of this type are self-enforcing, as traffic over the specified width cannot continue down the route. It is therefore not clear what benefit CCTV enforcement would provide at this point. The restriction in question is alongside a bus lane. Local authorities have powers to enforce bus lane infringements using CCTV, which might be something that the local authority could consider. Drivers should also be properly informed of width restrictions in advance, in time to take an alternative route and avoid them altogether. The local authority could review whether the signing on the approaches to this junction is clear enough to drivers.

As my hon. Friend knows and has set out, local councillors have a vital role in representing the concerns of their constituents to the local authority and to their Member of Parliament and in securing change. They also have a role in determining what schemes are prioritised and how funding is allocated locally. We are clear that authorities should take into account the needs of all road users in designing their schemes. They must engage properly with local communities when considering changes to local roads to ensure that they reflect their concerns and priorities.

In conclusion, I thank my hon. Friend for continuing to be such a vocal local champion and continuing to seek a suitable solution for the residents in the affected area. I am very happy to continue working with him, and I am sure that my noble Friend in the other place, Baroness Vere, who is responsible for roads specifically and some of the regulation that my hon. Friend has referred to, will also be very happy to continue working with him. I am certain that the local authority and the local councillors who are concerned with these matters are watching tonight, and they will have heard his advocacy on behalf of the residents. I am confident, therefore, that these continued efforts will lead to an appropriate solution being found.

Question put and agreed to.