A CAMPAIGN to block speed humps being installed in Thorpe Bay are gaining pace, with more than 100 residents signing a petition against the plan.

Azeem Raja, a previous Conservative candidate for the Thorpe ward, set up the petition after residents complained about the half a million pound scheme for speed humps and 20mph limits.

Councillor Daniel Nelson, who represents the Southchurch ward, opposes speed humps and fears they will lead to speeding in other areas. 

He said: “The data from what I have seen, doesn’t suggest the majority of these road require speed bumps.

“When putting in these you have to remember the environmental impact you are going to have as speed bumps create air pollution and they create noise pollution.

“It can also do damage to people’s cars, and I can see these speed bumps actually encouraging more speeding traffic in my own ward Southchurch.

“Then this increased speeding which would be along two roads that back onto a school, I couldn’t forgive myself if this council, without standing up against it, pushed this through.”

168 people have now signed the petition.

Roads included in the proposal for Thorpe Ward include the area bounded by Thorpe Hall Avenue, Thorpe Bay Gardens, Maplin Way and Station Road, as well as Shaftesbury Avenue, Kensington Avenue and Northumberland Crescent and Burges Road, Colbert Avenue and Wyatts Drive.

Ron Woodley, cabinet member for transport, asset management and inward investment, said: “It’s being put out there that we are putting speed bumps everywhere and there is currently not a speed bump in sight.

“It’s from those that don’t even live in Thorpe Ward and yet in their own wards they have got calming measures to slow people down. It’s about bringing in safer neighbourhoods.

“My role is to make it safe, and what they are doing is try to stop roads around Greenway School from being made safe.

“There was a petition put in by residents along Burgess Road to reduce the speed, and well you can’t do that without having some sort of intervention in place to stop it.”

To sign the petition, visit https://democracy.southend.gov.uk/mgEPetitionListDisplay.aspx