Through traffic in Pytchley

[featherpillow]

Is there anybody else in Pytchley concerned about the amount of through traffic in the village? Yesterday morning I saw 3 HGV’s going through, one was following a horse up the Kettering Road, and another had a trailer, how did he get on at the cross-roads?

I haven’t done a survey but a rough estimate must be over 3000 cars and white vans per day.

I know that most of the traffic uses the village as a short cut from Kettering to the Northampton Road (A43) but all the signposting directs traffic along the A14/A43, so presumably the highways dept. doesn’t want the traffic coming through the village.

Anyway, I would like to know how many people are concerned - or if it is just me that would like some peace and quiet.

[Dolly Molly]

I totally agree, but it's not only the volume but the speed in which they whizz down the High Street....in 18 months our 2 cars have been hit a total of 5 times.  Luckily today the person stopped and knocked on our door but the previous occasion £1000 worth of damage was caused....I have a phone number for the traffic calming department for Northamptonshire and have been trying to contact them to discuss what they will be doing about the situation.  Will keep you all posted but in the meantime if anyone else has any views post them on the website....the more objections we have the morre ammunition we have.......

[Noggin]

I agree 100%.

When will something be done to reduce and slow down this traffic, not when it is too late I hope.

The narrowest part of the village is outside of the primary school, I feel this is leverage for some action. The Parish Council is probably the appropriate route for this, but I am interested in hearing what the traffic calming department come back with.

[Hirsty]

 

I also live on the High Street and have to admit that the traffic issue is a major concern. 

The volume that goes through at the moment is ridiculous and frequently does so at some speed (UPS brown vans are recent regular culprits) in an area that any rational driver would patently see is not suitable for that.  The amount of times I have gone to the front window to see two drivers pull up (after a Mexican stand off of sorts) screaming and shouting at each other as to who had the right of way is beyond counting.  I opened my front door a few days ago after noticing that a HGV lorry was worryingly close to our parked car as it went down the High Street to be glibly told by the driver 'don't worry mate I'll not hit your car'.  He was so close to our car because another car was coming along in the other direction and had to mount the path on the other side - the traffic was effectively three abreast!

Something needs to be done before serious damage happens or God forbid an accident, after all no point trying to close the stable door when the horse has bolted.  I wonder whether a similar measure as the single lane filter in Broughton or speed bumps should be employed here?  The only way you will convince drivers not to use this village as a rat run is if you make it inconvenient for them.

If any member of the parish council happens to peruse this thread I would be interested to know what 'formal' approaches or measures, if any, in relation to this problem have already been made.

[featherpillow]

Today I spoke to NCC and was eventually put through to the Casualty Reduction Dept. They informed me that they will be putting up flashing speed signs for 4 weeks later this year, apparently they rotate these things round the villages, but as there have been no reported casualties in Pytchley there is little else they can do.

They will also be putting something called an SR4, which records the size, time and speed of vehicles. I’m not sure what purpose this will serve; as he pointed out that it is a public highway and as such people have the right to drive along them - as long as they do not cause any danger.

So, it would appear that: -

(i) As long as the traffic sticks to 30mph and nobody is injured, nothing will happen.
(ii) There is nothing that can be done to reduce traffic, as it has a perfect right to come through the village.

Anyone got any bright ideas? There is a parish council meeting next Monday 7th July at 7.45 in the village hall. If anyone is interested it would be worth turning up. Traffic, it would seem, is an ongoing problem; they have discussed it before, looking at the minutes of the last meeting. There was even a planned meeting with a Highways Representative in early June, about the village approach program 2008/9. I would be interested to know what the outcome of that was.

[Chris Archer]

Welcome to High Street Pytchley! Having lived in the village for 25 years, had two cars written off and a dog so seriously injured that he had to be put down and my sons girlfriend nearly killed by a speeding car as she pulled away i....ts all been said before and still nothing happens. Driving around the country one can see many traffic calming measures in villages like ours so why not Pytchley. 

We did get speed humps some years ago. ....at the extreme ends on the village a line of stones blocks were embedded into the road, pretty useless as it went, then the council saw fit to resurface the road up to the height of the blocks..... they may still be there who knows!!

Sticking to 30 mph does not make it right, that is the maximum speed limit....if one was to drive to the condition of the road considering the parked cars 15 to 20 mph would be more appropriate.

Ahh the old screaming tyres and the stand off...Like high Noon ......face to face neither jerk will back down...of course the jerk driving towards Broughton should but rarely does.......!

People come and people go..the problem remains.....the county hall bureaucrat probably was not born when I started to complain 25 years ago and i know other staunch village people have also attempted to get something done over the years to no avail.

Problem is, tragically it needs more than a couple of people to be killed before something is done thankully we have never had a fatal accident which is a miracle, as will be getting some effective traffic calming. At least my old white behemoth motor home proved to be a very effective traffic calming measure but alas that wasnt liked either!!!

I recall that one village worthy who shall remain nameless thought that no parking should be allowed in the High Street at all!!! needless to say he had plenty of off road parking himself.  ..how the speedster would have liked that.... no cars!!! Could have got up to about 80 mph through the Chicane.

Anyway from Mungalala in deepest outback Queensland we dont have that problem we meet and greet the postvan when it arrives once a week...thats soon to stop, superceded by the internet.....ah well there's alway the mobs of Kangaroos to slow down.

Chris Archer
Duckruncottage
Mungalala
Qld
OZ

[Dolly Molly]

I have recently been in contact with Northants Police and have been advised to post a complaint on the Safer Community Link on their website......so come on all...join me in posting a speeding complaint...just go on to the Northants Police website and you will see the link......

[Dolly Molly]

The email address to lodge a speeding complaint is: SCTKetteringRuralWest@northants.police.uk

[Noggin]

Let's do it.

Won't take us long to have a complaint each. 

If we all complain each time something happens, they will do something just to get rid of us.

[Hirsty]

Dolly Molly - thanks for the research and link.

[featherpillow]

Thanks for all the feedback on Pytchley traffic problems. The one problem I have is that, living on the Kettering Road, there is little chance of motorists speeding past my house. My main concern is the volume and noise. But I hope complaining about speeding motorists has the desired effect, you’re certainly right about the brown UPS vans, they are about the most impatient drivers around.

I was told that there was a parish council meeting several years ago and it turned fairly acrimonious when suggestions were made to restrict traffic through the village. It seemed many villagers did not want speed humps or any restrictions on their movements. I can understand these feelings, as I would be seriously affected by these measures myself.

But I wonder if opinions have changed over the years? Lots of things have changed, the traffic must be far heavier now, or perhaps people have just grown use to the traffic. I don’t know the answers, but I haven’t come across anyone yet who say nothing should be done.

One thing I discovered is that a lot of the traffic is from Broughton to Kettering – it is very difficult to turn right from Broughton village onto the A43, which I can believe, so it would be rather selfish to stop that traffic. Mind you, there is no reason why they should come back through Pytchley.

I understand that money is a problem, the chicane in Isham Road and the change of priorities at Top End cost £16,000 (apparently) and that was around 10 years ago. As an interim suggestion how does a mandatory 20mph speed limit sound? I’ve seen it in other villages and that wouldn’t cost very much.

Looking forward to hearing your opinions, best regards.

[Noggin]

I can't believe the speed the tractors are driving along the High Street. They may be able to see above the parked cars but they will not be able to see or stop for a pet or child stepping out from between them.  Madness!!!!!

[slasher]

make a complaint to UPS, through this link

https://www.ups.com/forms/e-mail/general_intl?loc=en_GB

[featherpillow]

Did anybody else notice what a beautiful day it was in Pytchley yesterday? For one day it was peaceful and quiet. Just as I once remembered it.

The reason – the closure of the Broughton cross roads, residents on the High Street must have been the greatest beneficiaries.

This re-kindled an idea I’ve had in my head for a while now, and it is this: -

Forbidding right turns off the A43 into Pytchley and making the High Street one way (towards Kettering).

This would stop the majority of through traffic in the village, while still allowing locals to go about their daily business with only minor disruption.

I would be interested to hear any comments, pro and against.

[SteveB]

its just my luck that I was out of the village when the high street was so clear! never mind.
Perhaps an idea would not to make the hight street one way, as suggested by featherpillow, but maybe putting a width barrier - say 6'-6" - on the high street just to the south of the crossroads with stringers hill. this would enforce a slowdown of car traffic and would stop heavier traffic passing through. It would still mean that vans and lorries could access the village, but only from either side. I would guess that a removeable bollard would be required for emergency services.