PFHI - new road signs and painted speed limits on the roads

Published: 11 April 2023

You may have noticed in the last week that there has been some activity on the estate with regards to new road signs and painted speed limits on the road.

This is a result of the Privately Funded Highways Initiative (PHFI), also known as the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), that was agreed pre-pandemic with the major estate stakeholders and funded by the Parish Council as a result of public interaction. It would be worth noting that the funding came from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) as a result of construction activity at RAF Wyton, and not out of the precept money that is given to the Parish from Council Tax each year - as such this means that there has been no excess burden on the Parish finances as a result of the PHFI.

It would also be prudent to explain the length of time it took to bring this initiative to fruition. The agreement and initial funding took place in the summer of 2019 (as per Parish Council official Minutes) and work progressed slowly until the onset of the Covid 19 Pandemic. There had also been several changes of personnel at Cambridge County Council in the department we were engaging with over this time period which also contributed to the extended timeframe. However, since September 2022 this work has been driven forward and was finally delivered at the beginning of April 2023.

The implementation of the PHFI, with the agreement of the major stakeholders on the estate, now means that the speed limits on the estate are now legally enforceable. This is timely considering the increase in social media comments regarding the state of speeding on our estate.

An email will also be sent to a range of the most common delivery companies seen on the estate to highlight the change of status on this estate regarding the speed limits, and to remind their drivers to drive carefully.

Finally, the Parish Council will look to engage with the Police with a view to monitoring the speed and standard of driving on the estate at random intervals going forward.

We continue to work to the best of our ability as a Parish Council to deliver for the community that we serve.