1. Introduction

Sykehouse Parish Council continues to receive concerns from residents regarding vehicle speeds through the village. Although speed monitoring demonstrates that a proportion of motorists exceed the posted speed limit, discussions with the police indicate that the recorded levels do not currently justify additional enforcement. This report summarises the available evidence, outlines the police position, and considers the options available to the Parish Council.

2. Speed Monitoring Results

Speed monitoring undertaken within Sykehouse has consistently shown that approximately 30% of vehicles exceed the posted speed limit during each monitoring period. The majority of the speeding exceedance are in the category 30 to 35 mph. Whilst any level of speeding is undesirable, the data has remained relatively consistent and has not demonstrated a significant increase over recent months, in fact data downloaded for 5th May to 30th of June shows a drop to 23.8% exceedance.

The majority of vehicles exceeding the limit are travelling only marginally above the speed limit, with a much smaller number recorded at significantly higher speeds.

Example for 5th May to 30th June

Total number of vehicles – 18,565

Number within speed limit – 14,147 – 76.2%

Number of vehicle 30-35mph – 3,037 – 16.3%

Number exceeding 35mph – 1,381 7.5%

36-40 – 994 Vehicles 5%

41-45 – 302 Vehicles 1.6%

46-50 – 67 Vehicles 0.3%

Above 50mph – 17 Vehicles 0.09%

3. Police Position

The local police have advised that, although speeding is recognised within Sykehouse, the available data does not indicate a level of offending that would

classify the location as a policing priority. When allocating enforcement resources, police consider a number of factors

including:

• The proportion of vehicles travelling significantly above the speed limit.
• Mean and 85th percentile vehicle speeds.
• Collision and casualty history.
• Road layout and associated risks.
• Reports of serious or repeat offending.
• Demand for enforcement across the wider policing area.

Based on these criteria, Sykehouse does not currently meet the threshold for increased enforcement activity. 2 x Vans recent visit results (Safety Camera Partnership) Here are the results from the recent visits to our Village on Broad Lane, near Old School Close:

• 24/05/2026 – 6 offences – Highest speed noted at 38mph
• 08/06/2026 – 2 offences – Highest speed noted at 35mph

These vans do not count the total number of vehicles.

4. Wider Context

This situation is not unique to Sykehouse. Many villages throughout the region experience similar concerns where approximately one-quarter to one-third of drivers exceed the speed limit. Despite understandable concerns from residents, these locations often receive the same assessment from the police, namely that speeding exists but is not sufficiently excessive, or associated with a collision history, to justify dedicated enforcement resources. Police must prioritise locations where there is evidence of substantially higher speeds, repeated serious offending, or an elevated risk of collisions causing injury.

5. Community Impact

Although the police assessment is based on enforcement thresholds and available resources, the impact on our residents should not be underestimated.

Residents have reported concerns regarding:

• Safety of pedestrians crossing the road.
• Cyclists and horse riders.
• Increased vehicle noise.
• Reduced confidence when walking within the village.

• General perception that drivers are not complying with the speed limit.

These concerns remain important and should continue to inform discussions with both the police and the highway authority.

6. Future Actions

The Parish Council wish to continue supporting measures that encourage compliance with speed limits, including:

• Continued appraisal of vehicle speeds through the village via the current monitoring equipment, downloads from this are available on the PC website.
• Liaising regularly with the Neighbourhood Policing Team.
• Requesting periodic Speed Indicator Device (SID) deployments where appropriate.
• Working with the highway authority to review signage, road markings and any appropriate traffic-calming opportunities.
• Encouraging residents to continue reporting road safety concerns through the appropriate channels.

Should future monitoring demonstrate increasing speeds or changes in the collision record, the Parish Council would be in a stronger position to request that the site be reassessed for enforcement.

7. Conclusion

The evidence currently available indicates that speeding remains a concern within Sykehouse, with approximately 30% of vehicles exceeding the speed limit during monitoring periods. However, the data also indicates that the level of speeding is consistent with that experienced in many rural villages and does not presently meet the criteria used by the police when prioritising enforcement. The Parish Council will therefore continue to monitor the situation, maintain dialogue with South Yorkshire Police and the highway authority, and pursue practical measures that encourage safer driving behaviour while recognising the limitations on the Parish Council and Police resources.