Northampton motorists heavily criticise 'disgusting' new traffic enforcement camera outside of WNC's headquarters

Members of the public have heavily criticised new traffic enforcement outside of the council’s headquarters in Northampton town centre.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has this month installed and switched on an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera outside of its headquarters at One Angel Square.

The camera catches any motorist who enters and stays in the yellow hatched box at the junction of St John’s Street and Victoria Gardens, which the council says happens ‘regularly’.

There are also three other areas in Northampton which are set to be enforced.

During the first six months of operation at each site, a warning notice will be issued for first offenses for any given vehicle, thereafter Penalty Charge Notices will be issued, according to WNC. It is not yet known how much a PCN will cost motorists.

The council says the new enforcement measures, using automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR), are to ‘aid traffic flow’ by ensuring carriageways ‘don’t become blocked by vehicles’, and to ‘help avoid accidents’ taking place at busy junctions.

Public reaction

Members of the public commented in their droves on the council’s Facebook post warning of the new enforcement near One Angel Square.

Joel Maule said: “This scheme is is frankly disgusting. To stoop so low as to try and make a few quid out of junctions that should have been invested/improved upon a long time ago with extra lanes and traffic management solutions is quite frankly immoral. Will you invest the money generated into improving these junctions or are you just going to chance your arm as per normal and use them as a cash cow?” Lorraine Francis said: “A camera! That's all this useless council worry about, MONEY! Maybe worry about your potholes that are damaging people's cars!” Mike Skidmore said: “After further reflection, it’s apparent to me that no one at WNC understands, or knows, of the principle of “cause & effect” since, at least in traffic terms, you continue to treat the effect, rather than addressing the cause.” Jonny Gurnham said: “So what about when cars come round in the right lane and cut into the left which will make it impossible to judge if the exit is clear and leave people stranded in the box. Who gets a ticket? The driver in the correct lane or the one cutting in? Just another money maker for a poorly managed council.” Roger Titman said: “West Northamptonshire Council what about all the other yellow boxes that are not outside your offices, you know the ones that you had painted that lots of people block up every day, what about them ones?” Phillip Collier said: “You could improve traffic flow in the town if you didn't keep messing about with the roads and stopped building huge housing estates that add to the traffic.”

Leanne Wilson said: “Perhaps they should set a camera up and fine all the people who get in the right lane to overtake everyone queuing and cut into the left-hand lane. They’d make a fortune.” Laura Johnson said: “We need something sorting desperately at the Cheyne Walk crossroads as that gets blocked so often and not even a yellow box even though it’s right next to the hospital.”

Lindsay Mary said: “Could always spend the money from penalties and repair some potholes.”

Jutta Much added: “It'll last a few months then the council will stop it again because too many people will be annoyed, just like the bus lane in St James.”

John Coombes said: “How will you prove from a picture taken that the car is moving or stationary? What’s the lowest speed it goes down to?”

Nigel Hanwell said: “For once WNC get something right. Much needed improvement.”Vicky Davies added: “Correct lane = no problem.”

Responding to its Facebook post, WNC said: “Thanks again for all your comments and questions on this post. Footage will be reviewed before a warning or penalty notice is issued, so we can be sure a contravention has occurred.”

WNC has been asked to clarify some of the public’s queries mentioned above.

The consultation

WNC revealed that the public consultation for this new enforcement, which ran from 10 November to 21 December 2022, received just 141 responses from a population of 420,000 people – that’s 0.03% of the population.

A council spokesman said: “The majority of survey responses came from those who either strongly support or support the introduction of these measures, although some of those who responded to the survey disagreed, but their objections were largely around the introduction of enforcement as a concept.”

The man in charge

Councillor Phil Larratt, cabinet member for highways, said: “As long as people are aware of and are following the rules of the road, they won’t fall foul of these new measures, and we should see fewer accidents and hopefully less congestion as a result.”

At a council meeting on November 30, Councillor Larratt was asked to explain why residents were experiencing ‘such heavy traffic’ and congestion around the town, particularly outside schools and hospitals.

He replied that the design of the town’s road networks ‘isn’t fit for today’s traffic’. Councillor Larratt said: “Unfortunately, we live in a town with a medieval road network designed on the medieval basis of the design of the town, which really isn't fit for today's traffic. Congestion, unfortunately, on the road network we've got is very difficult to manage. Happy to look at any particular proposals, but we have no intention of instigating a low emission zone area in Northampton to rip off the motorist, as we know that's what the Labour Party wants to do. We have no intention of instigating such a scheme in Northampton.”