Anti-social driving in Cheddar Gorge: PCC pledges resources and wants innovative road solutions

The Avon and Somerset police and crime commissioner has said he wants to make sure that the right resources are in place to tackle the issue of anti-social driving in Cheddar Gorge.

However, on a visit to Cheddar today (September 21), Mark Shelford said he saw innovative highways solutions as being the long-term deterrent for boy racers in large car meets in the Gorge.

In an interview with Cheddar Nub News, Mr Shelford said it was important that residents report anti-social driving issues to the police so they understand the level of disturbance and can make sure they have the right resources in place to take enforcement action when it is needed.

He also said that educating the drivers who speed through the Gorge and village to make sure they knew how dangerous they were being, was important.

During his visit to Cheddar, Mr Shelford met village residents, and representatives from Sedgemoor District Council, the AONB, landowners Longleat, Cheddar Vision Group, Neighbourhood Watch, Cheddar Parish Council and the Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Shelford said: "When I was a candidate, a number of people wrote to me about this issue, and it got to a specific problem area around the end of April and May.

"And so I was very keen to have a look at it and this is the second time I've come since I took over. I want to talk to all the different agencies involved, just to make sure we're progressing, not only in the short-term solutions with the gabion baskets in the car park, but also the longer term solutions of road engineering and highways.

"The police part of this is actually quite small. It's much more of the rest of the agencies coming together but I'm very happy that we're involved.

"I am very happy to work, perhaps in a co-ordination role with those, but largely the council, in the highways department, looking at engineering solutions.

"There's an education piece around making sure people understand that the damage they cause when they come up here.

"And then there is a police enforcement issue, particularly if there's dangerous driving around and making sure that we have the right resources in place to deal with it.

"That requires the locals to make sure that they continue to report because reporting is so important to making sure that the police know these things are happening."

'The police do care'

Mr Shelford encouraged Cheddar residents to call 101 or report anti-social driving online, and promised that the police do care about the issues.

"I hope all residents understand that reports don't just go into a black hole," he said.

"Those things are actioned, and it's so important because it allows the local police team to operate, because they know and they understand what's going on.

"It's bringing all of those things together - the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for example - making sure that everybody agrees on the long-term plan.

"That's how we're going to try and redesign the road element to make it safer for normal people to drive around and make it not fun for me to go and be a boy racer.

"I don't know what the engineers are going to come up with, but I want imaginative, creative ideas."

'Teach first before enforcement'

Mr Shelford said that from the police's point of view, they did not want to stop legal car enthusiasts from meeting, they just wanted to make sure they met somewhere else more suitable.

He said: "One of the most important roles of the police is education - teach first before enforcement.

"We need to make sure that the message gets out that the anti-social drivers are being incredibly selfish and very dangerous.

"In the end, if you race a car down Cheddar Gorge, you could end up killing somebody."