This survey was undertaken by a members of the Parish Council’s Speeding Working Group.
Aims of survey
- To determine the level of support for:
- a proposed 20mph limit in Gayton between Lansdowne Close and Vicarage Lane OR between Lansdowne Close and Church Terrace
- a proposed 20mph limit in Gayton Thorpe between Cherry Tree Cottage (just before the Green) on Old Norwich Road and the 30mph sign outside Manor Farm
- To determine the level of support for a proposed 40mph speed limit prior to the 30mph limits on entering Gayton and Gayton Thorpe from all directions.
- To gather evidence and reports of accidents or near accidents:
- on the B1145 (Lynn Road) in Gayton
- on the B1153 (Grimston Road) in Gayton
- on Winch Road in Gayton
- on Common Lane and Old Norwich Road in Gayton Thorpe
Methodology
An on-line survey was provided using Smart Survey and a tear-out survey was provided in The Voice. The survey was open from 28th January until 1st March 2024. Paper surveys were submitted to either the garage/butcher’s shop or to Charles Muff’s house. Paper surveys were collected regularly and transcribed into Smart Survey.
The survey was publicised on the front cover of The Voice, on the Gayton Village Facebook page, on the Gayton Parish Council Website and on the village noticeboards.
Results were downloaded from Smart Survey in Excel format and analysed. Both Smart Survey and Excel charting tools were used. Maps were created in the GIS application QGIS.The text of the freeform comments was analysed for themes using searches for commonly used words and by a closer reading of the comments for their content.
Number of responses
The total number of submitted complete responses was 148. Of these one response was from a business, the rest were from individuals. 37 partial responses were received, and all these were ignored because none of them answered any of the questions.
Responses received were from the following sources:
Paper: 35
Link and QR code provided in The Voice: 48
Link provided on the Gayton Village Facebook page: 65
Responses were received from
Gayton: 129
Gayton Thorpe: 4
Ashwicken: 7
Leziate: 2
East Winch: 2
East Walton: 1
Other PE32: 3
The Gayton responses were broken down by postcode area in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Gayton responses by postcode area
Raw results
Analysis of Results
Numerical analysis
All 4 respondents from Gayton Thorpe supported all the speed limits for both Gayton and Gayton Thorpe.
The following tables show the total of ‘Strongly support’ plus ‘Support’ responses and the total of ‘Strongly disagree’ plus ‘Disagree’ responses as percentages with number of responses in brackets:
| 20mph Limit | Support | Neither support nor disagree | Disagree | Total Responses |
| Gayton: Between Lansdowne Close and Vicarage Lane. | 66% (95) | 6% (8) | 28% (41) | 144 |
| Gayton: Between Lansdowne Close and Church Terrace | 66% (96) | 7% (10) | 27% (40) | 146 |
| Gayton Thorpe: Between Cherry Tree Cottage on Old Norwich Road just before the Green to the 30mph sign outside Manor Farm | 55% (77) | 22% (31) | 23% (33) | 141 |
| Number of comments | 46 | 7 | 28 | 81 |
| 60mph-40mph Limit | Support | Neither support nor disagree | Disagree | Total Responses |
| Gayton Litcham Road from Massingham | 74% (108) | 8% (11) | 18% (27) | 146 |
| Gayton Lynn Road from King’s Lynn | 71% (104) | 7% (10) | 22% (32) | 146 |
| Gayton Grimston Road from Grimston | 72% (104) | 7% (10) | 21% (31) | 145 |
| Gayton Winch Road from East Winch | 69% (99) | 10% (14) | 21% (30) | 143 |
| Gayton Thorpe Old Norwich Road from Castle Acre | 58% (80) | 22% (30) | 21% (29) | 139 |
| Number of comments | 46 | 5 | 18 | 70 |
The following themes emerged from the analysis of the freeform comments associated with the proposals for the 20mph and 40mph limits.
Analysis of comments
Safety –remarks that the proposals would improve road safety in Gayton
General support – remarks that the proposals were sensible or a good idea
Crossing – suggestions for a zebra crossing near Vicarage Lane to help residents from the North side of Lynn Road to cross over safely particularly with respect to children walking to and from school
Bends – the opinion that a formal reduction in speed limit is not required where the road has sharp bends on entering Gayton (from King’s Lynn)
Extend 20mph limit – suggestions to extend the 20mph limit to the 30mph limits, to back street, to around the new school and to Winch road.
Extend 30mph limit – suggestions to extend the 30mph limit further, in particular to include the bends on Lynn Road
Extend 40mph limit – suggestions to extend the 40mph limit to the 50mph zone on the road from King’s Lynn, to Well hall Lane and Fen lane and to Ashwicken.
School – comments about road safety for school children
Parking – comments about how parked cars on the main routes reduce visibility, impede traffic but also slow down the traffic
Ignore limit – opinion that if drivers ignore the 30mph limit currently, then they will ignore the 20mph limit
Enforcement – the view that the current 30mph limit should be better enforced before reducing the limit to 20mphand also the suggestion that any new 20mph limit would equally need to be enforced
Traffic Calming – suggestions for reducing speed by other means such as speed cameras, road bumps and traffic lights
The following table shows the number of comments made for the 20mph and 40mph proposed speed limits broken down by major theme and whether the respondent supported or opposed the proposed limit. Note that a respondent’s comment may include more than one theme. Only major themes have been included.
| Theme | Support 20mph | Disagree 20mph | Support 40mph | Disagree 40mph |
| Safety | 11 | 4 | 6 | |
| General support | 2 | 17 | ||
| Crossing | 3 | 1 | ||
| Bends | 2 | 2 | ||
| Extend 20mph | 9 | |||
| Extend 30mph | 3 | |||
| Extend 40mph | 8 | |||
| School | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Parking | 5 | 6 | ||
| Ignore limit | 3 | 9 | 6 | |
| Enforce Limit | 2 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| Traffic Calming | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Discussion
Two thirds (66%) of respondents supported the 20mph limit in Gayton, with no preference shown between the two zones (Lansdowne Close to Vicarage lane or Church Terrace). Just over half of respondents (55%) supported the 20mph limit in Gayton Thorpe. Note that all 4 respondents from Gayton Thorpe supported all the speed limits for Gayton Thorpe, although the number of responses from Gayton Thorpe was disappointing.
Slightly more than two thirds of respondents (over 70%) supported the addition of a 40mph speed limit some way before entry to Gayton, with the limit applying to Litcham Road (74%) and Grimston road (72%) being the most popular. A smaller proportion of respondents (58%) supported the 40mph speed reduction outside Gayton Thorpe.
More than a quarter (27%) of respondents disagreed with the 20mph limit in Gayton and just under a quarter disagreed with the 20mph limit in Gayton Thorpe. One in 5 respondents (20%) disagreed with the 40mph speed limit in Gayton and Gayton Thorpe.
Analysis of the comments shows that more comments (81) were made relating to the 20mph limit than were made about the 40mph limit (70). Looking at the comments made by supporters and objectors to the speed limits, about 70% of the responders who objected to the 20mph speed limit in Gayton made a comment, whereas just less than half of responders who supported it made a comment. For the 40mph limit the proportions for objectors and supporters were 60% and 45% respectively. This indicates that the objectors were more likely to make a comment backing up their choice than supporters and that they were also more likely to make a comment about the 20mph limit than the 40mph limit.
Supporters of the 20mph limit were more likely to think that the reduction in speed limit would improve safety in Gayton (11)‘Imposing a 20mph speed limit through the village is essential to make the roads safer for traffic and pedestrians’. They also suggested that the limit should be extended beyond those proposed in the survey, particularly around the school (8)‘We definitely need 20mph on Winch Road with the school now on Springvale and all the cars and children using Winch Road’. Respondents who disagreed with the introduction of the 20mph limit in Gayton were more likely to think that if drivers are currently ignoring the current speed limits, then they would also ignore a 20mph limit (9): ‘People don’t stick to 30mph. I’d like to know what makes you think they’ll stick to 20mph?’. Similarly, they were much more likely to suggest that the existing 30mph limit would be acceptable if it were properly enforced (9) and thus the 20mph limit is not necessary‘If you want to make Gayton safer ENFORCE THE CURRENT 30 LIMIT’.
Supporters of the 40mph limit were much more likely to think that the reduction from 60 to 40mph was a sensible idea (17)‘Slowing traffic down before entering our village is a sensible measure’. Those who disagreed with the 40mph limit thought that it would be ignored (6) and that it would be better to enforce existing limits (5).
Conclusion
There is significant support for the 40mph limit and slightly less support for the 20mph limit. However, there is less opposition to the 40mph limit. Supporters believe that the proposed speed limits will improve road safety in Gayton and are concerned about safety around the school and for children walking to it. Those who disagree with the proposed limits are more emphatically opposed to the 20mph limit than they are to the 40mph limit. They believe that the new limits, especially the 20mph limit, will be ignored and that better enforcement of the existing 30mph limit would be more effective.
Recommendations
The Speeding Survey team recommend that the PC:
- pursues the proposals for introducing a 40mph limit some way outside the entrances to Gayton with the relevant authorities – Charles Muff remains willing to support the PC in any way he can.
- uses its influence to improve the enforcement of the existing 30mph limit in Gayton and Gayton Thorpe
- considers safety improvements to the crossing point near Vicarage Lane to improve the safety of pedestrians crossing Lynn Road, especially given that this is the walking route to the new school
- keeps the 20mph proposals in mind until recommendations 1-3 have borne fruit, or not.
Appendix A
The survey contained the following survey questions formatted for paper and online.
Gayton Parish Council – Speed Limit Survey
Gayton Parish Council is consulting residents on their support for the introduction of new speed limits in and around Gayton and Gayton Thorpe. Your responses to this survey will help Gayton Parish Council make a case to the County Council for these new speed limits.
The Gayton Community Speedwatch team regularly check speeds of motorists at various locations within Gayton and Gayton Thorpe. As a result of this they have identified three major issues and have proposed some solutions. Their full report can be found <<here>>:-
- Motorists are still exceeding the speed limit some considerable way after the transition from 60mph to 30mph at the entrances to the villages. Proposed solution is to reduce the speed limit to 40mph some distance away from the 30mph signs making an easier transition 60mph – 40mph – 30mph
- On the B1145 (Lynn Road) between Lansdowne Close and Vicarage Lane there is a bend and narrowing road with Commercial and Residential parking. In addition, the pavement narrows to about 60cmon the Rampant Horse Corner (public house that was there before conversion to housing) and at Church Terrace, bringing pedestrians dangerously close to traffic on the road at these two points. In Gayton Thorpe there is no footpath on the narrow road through the village. Proposed solution is to introduce a 20mph speed limit at these points in the villages.
| Please provide your postcode | |||||||||
| Do you support adding the following 20mph speed limits in the villages: | |||||||||
| Strongly support | Support | Neither support nor disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |||||
| Gayton: Between Lansdowne Close and Vicarage Lane | |||||||||
| Gayton: Between Lansdowne Close and Church Terrace | |||||||||
| Gayton Thorpe: Between Cherry Tree Cottage on Old Norwich road(just before the Green) to the 30mph sign outside Manor Farm. | |||||||||
| Comments on 20mph speed limit | |||||||||
| Do you support introducing the following 40mph speed limits some distance before the 30mph signs to transition more easily from 60mph at the entrances to the villages: | |||||||||
| Strongly support | Support | Neither support nor disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |||||
| Approaching Gayton on Litcham Road from Massingham | |||||||||
| Approaching Gayton on Lynn Road from King’s Lynn | |||||||||
| Approaching Gayton on Grimston Road from Grimston | |||||||||
| Approaching Gayton on Winch Road from East Winch | |||||||||
| Approaching Gayton Thorpe on Old Norwich Road from Castle Acre | |||||||||
| Comments on 40mph speed limit | |||||||||
| Since 2017 there have been 26 formal reports of traffic accidents in Gayton Parish. The Parish Council is interested to know whether you would like to record any unreported incidents as part of this survey. Please note that this is only for the purpose of this survey and the Parish Council will not pass on any of these reports to the police. Please report incidents directly to the police if you want the incident formally recorded. Have you experienced or witnessed an accident or near accident: on the B1145 (Lynn Road) in Gayton on the B1153 (Grimston Road) in Gayton on Winch Road in Gayton on Common Lane and Old Norwich Road in Gayton Thorpe If so, please provide details: | |||||||||
| Date | |||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| Description of incident | |||||||||
Gayton Parish Council 