June 2020 – A new Campaign Group has been formed in Wisborough Green to combat loud motorcycle and car exhausts, speed and dangerous driving through the Village.

Many residents of Wisborough Green are complaining about noise from excessively loud motorcycle and car exhausts, as well as speeding and dangerous driving through the village. On sunny/dry weekends, the noise can start as early as 5-6 am and continues all day until the evening, making life a misery for many. Such behaviour is oppressive and anti-social and is a blight on our Village.

Studies have found that exposure to noise can have significant physical and mental health implications with heart attacks, high blood pressure, type two diabetes and stress, all linked to long-term contact with loud environments.

Recent posts on the village Facebook page and a recently formed WhatsApp group have drawn input from more than 60 concerned local residents and a formal pressure group is now being formed to combat the issues. Please follow the link to find out more about CANS and how you can get involved.

Calls to Action: 

If you are passionate about these issues in your village, please stand up and get actively involved:

• Katy Bourne – Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex spcc@sussex-pcc.gov.uk
• Grant Shapps – Secretary of State for Transport   shappsg@parliament.uk
• Baroness Vere – Under Secretary of State for Transport  verec@parliament.uk
• Priti Patel – Home Secretary (in light of her comments a few weeks ago about reckless drivers using public roads as personal racetracks during lockdown) public.enquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk

• Andrew Griffith MP – Email to this email address Andrew@GriffithMP.com
• Janet Duncton, Councillor (West Sussex County Council) – Email to this email address: janet.duncton@westsussex.gov.uk
• Gareth Evans, Councillor (Chichester District Council) – Email to this email address: gbevans@chichester.gov.uk

Can you help with further investigation?

• Further investigate the UK legal landscape – who wants to do this please? (see details below)
• Further investigate measures other countries have in place (laws, regulations, fines, penalties) for excessive exhaust noise/speed – who wants to do this please? (see details below)
• Are you willing to get involved in a Community Group to tackle the noise, speed and dangerous driving issues, including the Community Speedwatch? If yes, contact Louise Davies the Parish Clerk on this email address: clerk@wisboroughgreenpc.org
• Engage with and act as liaison with other communities to investigate the measures they have taken/are talking to combat the issues – who wants to do this please? (see details below)

We have started to research how other communities/countries have successfully stopped motorcycle/car noise & speeding, to learn from/adopt similar measures. For example –

Germany has banned aftermarket motorcycle exhausts, as well as modifications to factory exhausts that could increase noise. An outright ban of motorcycles from certain areas where their noise is a problem during weekends and holidays is being considered.

A Cheshire village is banning car drivers from revving loud exhausts via a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)… the same could be investigated for Wisborough Green.

We have support from Wisborough Green Parish Council

• 17 people wrote to express their concerns to the Parish Council (as of 18^th May) and the issue was discussed at their meeting in May. The Council acknowledges the issue and is very supportive.
• Volunteers are being sought for taking Community Speed Watch training, manning mobile speed and noise monitoring stations at weekends, etc.
• We are part of a wider Anti-Social riding & Driving, Motorcycle Noise & Speeding Working Group
• A cross-ward group has been formed, made up of MPs (Andrew Griffith & Gillian Keegan,) representatives from West Sussex County Council, Chichester District Council and Parish Councils from Wisborough Green, Loxwood, Lodsworth, Tillington, Petworth, Midhurst, Easebourne, Fittleworth, Lodsworth, Duncton and Bury.
• We have a Traffic Monitoring station at the Green:
• There is a permanent automatic traffic monitoring box at the Green that records the speed, time and type of every vehicle that passes. It can distinguish between a motorcycle, car, van, bus, lorry, etc.
• Anyone can access the data and it shows that circa 38% of all traffic is exceeding the 30mph speed limit in the village, with several exceeding 50mph, and one exceeding 60mph.

• We have established contact with local pressure groups along the A272 and elsewhere who experience similar problems. CANS Hampshire (on the A272 in West Meon) has successfully trialled Acoustic Cameras, got their local MP to back them, got the Police to back them, and the Police have requested Average Speed Camera installations to combat the issue.
• We are liaising with Parish Council representatives from Petworth, Tillington, Midhurst, Stedham, Fittleworth, Loxwood, Easebourne, Lodsworth, Bury,Trotton & Chithurst, etc
• We are researching initiatives with whom we may take action:
• Such as the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, Community Speed Watch and Operation Crackdown.
• We have engaged with Gareth Evans, Councillor, Chichester District Council
• Gareth is aware, involved/active and is very supportive in taking steps to combat the issues.

We are researching the use/applicability of Acoustic Cameras

• The Department for Transport conducted a 7 month trial of Acoustic Cameras in 2019.
• CANS Hampshire is just one community which has successfully trialled acoustic cameras and we are applying pressure to see how they could work in Wisborough Green.

We are researching the Legal landscape in the UK and Europe.

Contrary to popular belief, there is much legislation in the UK that addresses exhaust noise. For example:

• The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Noise & Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 cover noise that is emitted from vehicles that is considered a nuisance or prejudicial to health.
• The Police Reform Act 2002 and the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 give Police power to fine offenders who cause a nuisance and/or remove and/or crush the vehicle.

There are also EU regulations too – which still apply in the UK.

Do please get involved, contact Simon Pearson for more info: simonpearson@yahoo.com

• The Department for Transport conducted a 7 month trial of Acoustic Cameras in 2019.
• CANS Hampshire is just one community which has successfully trialled acoustic cameras and we are applying pressure to see how they could work in Wisborough Green.

We are researching the Legal landscape in the UK and Europe.

Contrary to popular belief, there is much legislation in the UK that addresses exhaust noise. For example:

• The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Noise & Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 cover noise that is emitted from vehicles that is considered a nuisance or prejudicial to health.
• The Police Reform Act 2002 and the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 give Police power to fine offenders who cause a nuisance and/or remove and/or crush the vehicle.

There are also EU regulations too – which still apply in the UK.

Do please get involved, contact Simon Pearson for more info: simonpearson@yahoo.com

Contrary to popular belief, there is much legislation in the UK that addresses exhaust noise. For example:

• The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Noise & Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 cover noise that is emitted from vehicles that is considered a nuisance or prejudicial to health.
• The Police Reform Act 2002 and the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 give Police power to fine offenders who cause a nuisance and/or remove and/or crush the vehicle.

There are also EU regulations too – which still apply in the UK.

Do please get involved, contact Simon Pearson for more info: simonpearson@yahoo.com