17.08.23 – Safer Summer Roads Campaign, HRA Five Year Capital Investment

Staffordshire Police are asking drivers and road users to take care on the roads as part of their ‘SaferSummerRoads campaign’.

Officers across Staffordshire are carrying out a three-week long campaign this month looking to target motorists who are putting others at risk through speeding and poor road safety awareness.

The initiative will involve a series of enforcement and education activities across the county – as people start heading out for holidays, festivals and days out during the peak summer months.

The primary aim of the campaign is centred around preventing speeding and increasing awareness around the dangers of speeding, which is often a factor in collisions and, in the last three years, speed contributed to 32 per cent of crashes in which someone died or was seriously injured.

The locations of the speeding operations will be advertised on our social media channels. We aim to get road users to think about their behaviour and stop speeding themselves, rather than catching them in the act.

Part of the campaign will also see advice and videos being published to raise awareness of how to use the roads safely this summer on various channels and targeted advertising aimed at motorcyclists.

Superintendent Mat Derrick, head of operations, said: “Fatal collisions are unexpected and traumatic events that can devastate victims, families and the local communities – but are often preventable.

“That’s why it’s so vital that we continue to educate people on the importance of road safety and continue to proactively police our roads to stop those putting fellow motorists and pedestrians at risk.

“Drivers tend to take more risks in the summer months due the weather being nicer. We want to remind road users of important safety advice as we want everyone to take personal responsibility for their own and others safety on the roads.

“Please travel within the speed limits and adjust your speed according to the conditions and hazards. Remember just a few extra miles per hour can make all the difference to your reaction, breaking distances and ultimate consequence of any collision.

“There will be young people out and about enjoying their time off school and we want to make it clear that all road users should be treated with respect. We should all pay attention to those who are most vulnerable on the roads, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists to make sure we all get home safely.

“We are also offering advice to motorcyclists due to number of fatal collisions involving them recently. It is important that they wear the appropriate gear for protection and visibility. There are also workshops available such as BikeSafe which give practical advice.”

This campaign also supports our on-going work as part of Operation Lightning, which aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads of Staffordshire and to disrupt and deter criminals from using the road network.

To read more about the campaign, visit: #SaferSummerRoads | Staffordshire Police

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More than £117 million is set to be invested in Stoke on Trent over the next five years to ensure council homes are comfortable, warm and in good condition.

The City Council is making the multi-million investment into its housing stock as part of an ongoing commitment to raise housing standards in the city.

Through the five-year capital investment programme, around 14 and a half thousand council-owned properties will benefit from improvement works between now and 2028.

The works will range from the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms where required, central heating, insulation and improvements to landscaping, parking areas, external windows and doors and roof repairs. All of the work will be carried out by Unitas, Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s repair and maintenance company, and its sub-contractors.

The £117 million will be invested across six dedicated workstreams. They are:

• Decent Homes – a continued focus on providing accommodation which meets the statutory minimum for housing and the city council’s obligations under the Decent Homes Standard 2006;
• Remodelling and Extensions – this is work carried out to remodel and extend existing properties so they can accommodate larger families;
• Energy Efficiency – this will include improvements to loft and wall insulation, windows and ventilation to ensure all properties achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2030;
• Environmental Work – this includes improvement work to landscaping, parking areas and pathways;
• Apartments, Compliance and Fire Safety – this outlines a commitment to providing safe homes and ensuring that building safety and compliance standards are met;
• Garages, Estates and Bungalow Improvements – this includes any external improvement work carried out at council-owned garages, housing estates and bungalows such as wall insulation and improvements to windows, doors and roofing including chimneys.

This work will build on the goals of the Older People’s Housing Strategy 2023-2028 which aims to help the city’s older residents live well at home for longer.  The strategy, which was adopted by Cabinet at a meeting on Tuesday has been developed on the back of research which suggests that, due to the aging population, there will be an additional 10,450 residents aged 65 and over living in Stoke-on-Trent by 2040.