Summary Response to “Informal Engagement” on Farncombe Local Streets Improvements by Neil Lock
There is a Surrey County Council (SCC) project called Farncombe Local Streets Improvements. It is currently at Informal Engagement stage, which runs until March 15th.
It proposes imposing 20mph speed limits throughout the Farncombe area, even on main thoroughfares. As well as many instances of raised tables and junction narrowing, and several of carriageway narrowing. There is a project description and questionnaire at [[1]]. This is a summary of my response.
About myself
I have lived in Godalming for 40 years. My home is at the top of the hill, on Twycross Rd near Frith Hill Rd. I am a car driver and pedestrian. At the age of 72, a car is essential to my quality of life.
I am a regular customer of several businesses in Farncombe and Binscombe. And I like to walk frequently in Broadwater Park.
I have a degree in mathematics. And I have acquired, over decades, much expertise in environmental matters. I am known for my strong and principled opposition to net zero. I am strongly against all political policies that harm or restrict car drivers. I am also campaign manager for my local branch, Godalming and Ash, of Reform UK.
Political context
I am well aware of the “Local Transport Plan 4,” published in 2021 by Surrey County Council (SCC). The policies in that plan showed up its promoters as hostile to the needs and desires of everyone who drives a car in Surrey.
I am also aware that Tory-controlled SCC chose to join UK100, a strongly pro-net-zero group of councils. I am aware of the WHO’s “Vision Zero” road safety scheme, being pushed on us by the Liberal Democrat caucus on SCC. As to Labour, they have recently approved the roll-out of “15-minute cities” by local authorities across the UK. And Godalming Town Council, with ten Liberal Democrats, three Greens, three Labour and two Tories, has swallowed the deep green nonsense whole.
It will not surprise you, then, to learn that I am very strongly opposed to all schemes such as the Farncombe local streets “improvements.” If you live, work or shop in Binscombe, Farncombe, or Charterhouse south of Charterhouse School, and you agree with me, I urge you to submit your own response by March 15th.
The “early engagement” phase
I took part in the “early engagement” phase of this project in autumn 2024. I gained the impression that the whole exercise was biased towards highlighting perceived issues that could then be exploited to “justify” anti-car policies, and lowered speed limits in particular. I also noticed that the questionnaire allowed multiple submissions from each individual.
Area Wide Proposals
Here are my responses to the “area wide proposals” recently published.
20mph speed limit
In my view, the current 30mph limits in Farncombe are already perfectly adequate.
Here is the map of the proposals. Every road coloured red or gold is to have a 20mph speed limit slapped on it. These include roads vital to every journey I make, including those to Farncombe and to Godalming.
Moreover, two of these roads, Farncombe Hill and Frith Hill Rd, are extremely steep. And 20mph speed limits have been shown not to work well on steep hills.
Since speeds around Farncombe are already very slow, the effect of a 20mph limit on speeds in central Farncombe would be minimal. So, there would be no gain from 20mph speed limits for people in Farncombe itself, yet a big loss for people in neighbouring areas. This is not in any sense a benefit to the people. The entire 20mph proposal should be ditched.
Raised tables and speed bumps
In most cases, raised tables cause more trouble than any benefit they might bring. And speed-bumps can also cause more trouble than merely repeated strains on cars’ suspension. I also have a friend who recently suffered almost £700 worth of damage to the underside of his car going over a broken speed bump outside Loseley Fields school.
I would advocate removing all the obstructive hardware from our roads, and treating drivers as responsible adults.
Narrowing of junctions to “calm” traffic
Narrowing of junctions can make sense for pedestrian safety in certain places where the side road is unusually wide, or where the pedestrian route is heavily used. But in most places, it will have a negative effect. Junction narrowing looks particularly inappropriate on roads which are also bus routes.
Vehicle activated signs to encourage drivers to slow down
The most likely effect of such signs is to make drivers angry at being treated as if they were naughty children instead of responsible adults.
Improvements to accessibility through consistent dropped kerbs and tactile paving
Generally, this is a good idea. But it needs to be cost-justified in each case.
Pedestrian wayfinding
I don’t think this is of any benefit in a place the size of Farncombe.
Detailed issues
The full version of my response covers a large number of issues I found while looking over the detailed maps. Many of the proposals will have negative impact on those who need their cars in order to get to and from the Farncombe area. They are particularly damaging to people who live higher up the hill, and thus walking to and from Farncombe is not a sensible option.
There is far too much junction narrowing and carriageway narrowing in these schemes. I see these as making what should be a simple road into an obstacle course.
I have responded to many individual points via the consultation website.
To sum up
Most of the proposals will have negative impact on those who need their cars in order to get around the Farncombe area. Yet they will not lead to any benefits for people in Farncombe itself. They are not improvements, but the exact opposite. With just a few exceptions, all the proposed changes should be scrapped.
As campaign manager for Reform UK in the constituency which includes Farncombe, I shall be urging all our candidates, members, and supporters to fight against these proposals with everything they have.
And to voters: If your car matters to you, only one party will stand up for you. And that’s Reform UK. Vote Reform UK in the West Surrey elections on May 7th if you want to keep your freedom to drive.
Image credit on main page: Surrey County Council