A34 car cruising ban plan welcomed by councillors

Stafford Borough Council will consult on bringing in a three year ban on car cruising and car meets on the A34 between Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford

Plans to ban racing meets and car cruising along a Staffordshire main road are being considered by local councillors.

There have been more than 40 complaints and requests for police attendance because of issues along the A34 between Trentham and Redhill, on the outskirts of Stafford.

Residents have been kept awake by revving engines and shouting, a councillor said.

Community protection warnings have already been issued to people involved in the anti-social activity, but a tougher public spaces protection order (PSPO) could be brought in for three years.

The PSPO is being considered for the A34 between the Stoke-on-Trent boundary and junction 14 of the M6.

It would ban car meets and car cruising, and failing to comply with the order could mean a penalty notice of £100, reduced to £75 if paid within 10 days, or alternatively a fine of £1,000 if convicted at court.

Stafford Borough Council’s cabinet agreed on Tuesday for a consultation to be carried out on the proposed PSPO.

'It's been awful'

Councillor Jill Hood, cabinet member for community, said: "I live on the A34 and I’ve witnessed it. I’ve watched them taunt each other as they’ve slowed right down, then accelerate to ridiculous speeds to race."

She said the late night racing was dangerous, and affecting people living on housing estates close to the business park where the cars meet, who have to put up with "shouting over the noises of revving engines for long periods of time."

Ms Hood shared the experience of a fellow Stone resident, who said: “Some nights it’s been awful because they cruise round our estate for hours."

The council's deputy leader, Rob Kenney, said: “I absolutely welcome this. The majority of the A34 that this specifies is within Trent Valley, and anybody who lives on elevated land on either side of the Trent Valley, not just adjacent to the A34, is also blighted by it as well."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.