Lancashire's 20mph complaints system halted

Concerns submitted to the road safety body are reviewed by a panel comprising police and local councils

People in Lancashire are being told not to report speeding in 20mph zones due to a backlog of complaints.

Lancashire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) said it needed to deal with an "unprecedented number" of speeding concerns already reported.

It said it had made the "difficult decision" to pause "assessment of newly received" 20mph (32km/h) concerns.

Local councillors claimed the approach would put lives at risk and it was "nonsensical".

People are ordinarily invited to report concerns of excessive speed to LRSP for review by the Lancashire Speed Management Group, which includes representatives from Lancashire Police and the local authorities.

The road safety body for Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool councils said it would still be accepting reports of concerns for breaches of other speed limits and it was only 20mph concerns which had been halted.

But South Ribble Labour Councillor Paul Wharton-Hardman said: "Instead of addressing our genuine worries and making our roads safer, it feels like [LRSP] adopted the classic 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' approach."

He added that "lives are at stake" and it was "disappointing" to see LRSP "shutting down the capability for residents to report speed concerns".

Councillor Paul Wharton-Hardman fears live are at risk

An LRSP statement said: "Due to the unprecedented number of speeding concerns we continue to receive relating to 20mph limits, we have made the difficult decision to pause the assessment of newly received 20mph limit concerns."

It said it was so it could "concentrate on properly assessing and appropriately responding to existing 20mph limit concerns."

Mr Wharton-Hardman and fellow ward councillor Janet Alty have written to local MP Nigel Evans expressing their concerns about the move.

He has been contacted by the BBC for a comment.

Lancashire Police has also been contacted for a response.

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