An extra £2 million funding is being ploughed in this year to hit local community concerns across Staffordshire's network of over 3,500 miles of roads.

Leader of the Council John Taylor with some of the road safety fleet.

The extra money will provide the investment needed to transform the way Staffordshire Highways delivers local highway improvements - starting with a blitz on pothole hotspots.

A network of Community Teams is being set up to take highways maintenance up a gear. They'll work closely with parish councils and local community representatives to identify local priorities.

The teams will deliver on a range of localised works, which while not major priorities, are a real concern for local communities, including residential footpath improvements, tree maintenance, road markings, signs and street furniture.

The £2 million extra funding will be spent on the following:

Community Teams - £350,000
Environmental Improvements - £250,000
Local highway improvements - £200,000
Potholes blitz - £400,000
Footpath resurfacing - ££500,000
Tree maintenance £150,000
Road marking improvements £150,000

County Council Leader John Taylor said: "Staffordshire is already among the top ten most efficient highway authorities in the UK. This extra funding will help us shift up another gear in delivery. All year round, every year, the team are out completely revitalising hundreds of miles of roads.

"But local concerns about overgrown hedges and potholes still demand action. They really matter. That's what this extra £2 million will focus on. It's about careful and responsible management of public funding. Staffordshire Highways has done a remarkable job in delivering more for less and is recognised nationally as a four star service, but there is always more to do.

"£2million is a significant sum, but we spend over £44 million on maintenance alone every year. We won't be able to meet everyone's demands - we have to be realistic. But we are listening to local people's concerns and working even harder to make the funding go even further. It's all about balancing demands to get the best possible deal for the people of Staffordshire," he said.

The County Council's deputy leader has been given the chance to see first hand just one of the operations Staffordshire Police has run to target so called boy-racers.

Deputy leader Robert Simpson with some of the Talon Team

County Councillor Robert Simpson went out with the police as part of the multi-agency Operation Talon carried out to change the driving behaviour of males aged 16 to 25-years-old.

More than 230 young drivers were offered an alternative to prosecution during the safety operation which ran across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Depending on their offence, some of the drivers caught breaking the law were given the choice of being prosecuted or attending a 'Crash' course.

During Operation Talon officers from the force's road crime unit used the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), which detects drivers who have no insurance, road tax, or are driving while disqualified. Police dogs and the force helicopter were also deployed, and staff from the county council run Casualty Reduction Partnership operated a mobile camera.

The 'Crash' courses held at local fire stations are run by partners including the county council. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Staffordshire Police and Victim Support. Course attendees are encouraged to consider the consequences of road traffic collisions from the perspective of both victims and offenders.

Inspector Chris Dawson, from the force's road crime team, said: "We're determined to tackle this type of anti-social behaviour because it is a major cause of nuisance and worry in our communities. Operation Talon combined the principles of enforcement and education."

In Staffordshire, four out of every ten road casualties involve a young driver, rider or passenger, yet this age group only represents ten per cent of the population. One in five newly qualified drivers will have some kind of crash or incident within the first six months of passing their driving test.

"We and our partners wanted to find a way to change the behaviour of boy-racers, and to let them see the potential consequences of their law-breaking. Trends show young drivers and riders aged 16 to 25 years are more at risk of being involved in a road traffic collision. Boy-racers put themselves, their passengers and other road users at an even higher risk," continued Inspector Dawson.

Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council, Robert Simpson added: "Every week 27 young people on injured on Staffordshire's roads, some 32 per cent of the county total.

"The majority of young people drive sensibly, but unfortunately, a minority insist on driving at inappropriate speeds and take unnecessary risks which put their lives and passengers at risk. We are determined to bring this casualty rate down by using targeted enforcement at known local hotspots. Anti-social and dangerous driving simply can't be tolerated.

He added: "Our road safety team and the police work very closely together to ensure frontline enforcement activities are closely integrated into the year-round safety programme which continually drives home key road safety messages through education projects, awareness campaigns and training courses. Catching those who break the law and discouraging them from re-offending is important, but we want to ensure that people don't offend in the first place. Bad driving habits and speeding can kill, maim and wreck lives."

Last Modified: 30/09/2008 11:27:43
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