Newtown Parish Council launches petition to have SID installed on the B4640, Newtown Straight

Newtown Parish Council has launched a petition to have a speed indicator device installed on the B4640 – better known as the Newtown Straight.

The 50mph road stretches from Tot Hill Services to the A339 roundabout by The Swan Inn.

The parish council purchased a Speed Indicator Sign (SID) in 2022 but has only been granted a licence to deploy it on roads with speed limits of 30mph or 40mph.

The petition, which can be viewed at https://rebrand.ly/2f3z0f3, aims to change this.

A parish council spokesperson said: “Hampshire Highways does not allow SIDs to be used on roads where the speed limit is 50mph or higher.

“This seems an arbitrary ruling, especially as West Berkshire Council has installed such a device just across the county boundary on the A339 which also has a 50mph limit.

“As your parish council, we are well aware that there are numerous instances of speeding along the Newtown Straight – as this section of the B4640 is known.

“We are hoping to assemble a petition of local residents in order to put pressure on Hampshire Highways and to get approval for the SID to be used on this dangerous section of road.”

The petition has already gained more than 650 signatures since being launched on October 1.