Council proposes speed limit change at Barnoldby le Beck
It follows safety concerns raised by Barnoldby residents in an offline petition last summer.
North East Lincolnshire Council is looking to reduce the speed limit of a road used by thousands of vehicles every day.
The local authority is proposing to reduce the speed limit of a 750m stretch of Waltham Road between Waltham and Barnoldby le Beck from the national 60mph limit, to 50mph. It follows safety concerns raised by Barnoldby residents in an offline petition last summer.
Over 6,500 vehicles a day used the road in 2024. The petition gathered 135 signatures over “atrocious” speeding and prompted the council to investigate the issue.
A subsequent initial report produced in December 2024 revealed 2023/24 traffic data showed more than half of all vehicles every day – over 3,000 – flouted the 30mph restriction in Barnoldby itself.
Compliance with the 60mph limit outside of the village on Waltham Road was good. But more than half of all vehicles were travelling at a speed which is above the normal prosecution limits set by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), once they entered Barnoldby’s 30mph zone from Waltham Road. The average speed of vehicles passing west of the village gateway, where it is a 30mph limit, was 36.3mph.
Cllr Stewart Swinburn (Conservative – Immingham), portfolio holder for housing, infrastructure and transport, agreed at his latest portfolio holder meeting with several recommendations to tackle the speeding issue. These comprise reducing the 750m 60mph stretch of Waltham Road between the two villages to a 50mph limit, the installation of two speed indicator devices (SIDs) on the road’s approach to Barnoldby, and refreshed road markings and signage.
It marks a change of mind by Cllr Swinburn. He did not agree in 2021 with a recommendation to reduce the speed limit, as it was a straight road with no history of accidents.
Injury collision data provided by the police to the council shows Barnoldby area had one slight collision in the last five years, which resulted in two injuries. However, the 2023/24 traffic data, a site visit in January 2025 by council officers, and the petition shows strong evidence and concern about speeding cars.
Retired trauma orthopaedic nurse Jackie Meenaghan spoke at a meeting in October to present the village petition. She warned speeding was at all times of day and night. “It’s atrocious and we need to stop that.” Mrs Meenaghan also reported a resident twice had a car crash into their front room.
To reduce the speed limit to 50mph, a traffic regulation order (TRO) must be made. A further report seeking permission to progress with the appropriate legal orders is expected to go to Cllr Swinburn in August.
A TRO is not a simple legal process, and will provide a period for the public to raise objections. The planned TRO is expected to take eight to ten months to process.
The SIDs have been discussed with the parish council and petitioner, who support the recommendations made. The council will write to residents to inform them, and respond accordingly to any comments received.
The first SID is planned to be located at the speed limit change to 30mph on entering Barnoldby. It will advise drivers to “slow down” if travelling above the speed limit.
The second would be 300m into the village, and feedback the driver’s speed and a further message. It is estimated £8,000-£10,000 will be spent on new and refreshed road markings and signage to accompany the speed limit change.