Local Access Only

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Mark Hewitt
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Local Access Only

Post by Mark Hewitt »

I drove through Aberford yesterday, for no other reason than I wanted to drive through Aberford.

However on exiting the roundabout on the A64 the flag sign said

Aberford
Local traffic only.

Is this just a suggestion for information purposes, i.e. the road doesn't really go anywhere interesting except Aberford, or does it have any force in law?

What circumstances would lead to a road being signed as 'Local traffic only' the first place?
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sotonsteve
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by sotonsteve »

Local access is only enforcable if red-bordered circles are used in conjunction with a worded message. If a direction sign just says "local access" it's just informative.
Rob590
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Rob590 »

I think you tend to find them when a major route exists alongside a more direct road which can't deal with the same levels of traffic.

Two examples I can think-of are on the A595 in Cumbria. Firstly, at the junction between Foxfield Road and the A595 http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=foxfie ... 20LA20%206. Traffic to Broughton-in-Furness could head up the rather steep and windy Foxfield Road (indeed, this was the A595 until a realignment at some point in the 1990s). However, this is now signalled for local traffic only, with Broughton traffic directed along the A595, to enter the town from its north-west.

I have a feeling that there is a similar sign at Grizebeck, also on the A595, attempting to prevent traffic from using a local road which cuts off the corner where the A595 TOTSOs at its T-Junction with the A5092.
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FosseWay
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by FosseWay »

It's amazing what a certain kind of interfering busybody will regard as code for 'this is a local road for local people'.

I once had occasion to park on the road between Thornhill and Aston in Derbyshire. At both ends of said road is an 'unsuitable for motors' blue plate, which is clearly codswallop since, while narrow, the road is fully surfaced throughout. As I was parking (in a place that was not obstructive, dangerous or otherwise antisocial) a woman walking her dog had a go at me, claiming variously that the road was closed to traffic except for access and that no parking was allowed on it. She didn't seem to have a response when I pointed out that (a) I was using the road as access to the place I was currently parked in and (b) there were no yellow lines or other parking restrictions visible as far as the eye could see.
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Mark Hewitt
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Mark Hewitt »

FosseWay wrote:She didn't seem to have a response when I pointed out that (a) I was using the road as access to the place I was currently parked in and (b) there were no yellow lines or other parking restrictions visible as far as the eye could see.
Yes as far as I know the "Unsuitable for motors" is advisory. If traffic were banned then there should be a "No Vehicles" sign or similar.
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multiraider2
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by multiraider2 »

Yes. As I have mentioned before; the sign depicted in my Avatar is treated with derision by locals in St. Ives. I guess this is based on the fact that their cars are under six foot wide.

It would be interesting if a car did get stuck though. I guess that could lead police to suggest a "driving without due care and attention" offence.
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Stevie D
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Stevie D »

Mark Hewitt wrote:However on exiting the roundabout on the A64 the flag sign said

Aberford
Local traffic only.

Is this just a suggestion for information purposes, i.e. the road doesn't really go anywhere interesting except Aberford, or does it have any force in law?

What circumstances would lead to a road being signed as 'Local traffic only' the first place?
A direction sign - be it a flag sign or ADS - has no legal status. If I am driving round the M25 with the intention of going to Birmingham, it isn't illegal for me to drive past the M40 exit where Birmingham is signposted and take another road - and in the same way, a direction sign saying "local traffic only" is just giving information about where the road goes (ie, nowhere very much).

The signs would generally be used where there is a likely risk of drivers mistakenly using the road thinking it is a through route.
Telstarbox
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Telstarbox »

On the A2 coming south past Kidbrooke, the left lane is signed for "Local traffic". The exit leads to Eltham but that isn't signed there or from the next junction (A205 South Circular). It did make me wonder how someone using it for the first time is supposed to know whether they're local or not.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4701402 ... 384!8i8192
Scratchwood
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Scratchwood »

Telstarbox wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:49 On the A2 coming south past Kidbrooke, the left lane is signed for "Local traffic". The exit leads to Eltham but that isn't signed there or from the next junction (A205 South Circular). It did make me wonder how someone using it for the first time is supposed to know whether they're local or not.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4701402 ... 384!8i8192
In that case it's local traffic...unless you're going to Kidbrooke which is also local, but the "wrong" local :D
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Chris Bertram
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Chris Bertram »

Scratchwood wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 17:44
Telstarbox wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:49 On the A2 coming south past Kidbrooke, the left lane is signed for "Local traffic". The exit leads to Eltham but that isn't signed there or from the next junction (A205 South Circular). It did make me wonder how someone using it for the first time is supposed to know whether they're local or not.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4701402 ... 384!8i8192
In that case it's local traffic...unless you're going to Kidbrooke which is also local, but the "wrong" local :D
It leads to Rochester Way, which was A2 until the Rochester Way Relief Road was constructed. They clearly don't want to encourage through traffic onto it.
Last edited by Chris Bertram on Wed Apr 14, 2021 18:07, edited 1 time in total.
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Glen
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Glen »

I think in the context of a direction sign it's to discourage traffic using it as a through route to rejoin the motorway. For example HGVs using a parallel road to find somewhere to park up. Or people following sat-nav where it's suggesting that route.
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Vierwielen »

Part of the problem from the authority's point of view is that policing it is very difficult as they have to prove that you did indeed use the road as a short cut. A valid defence would be that you were looking at moving to the locality concerned, but on driving through you saw that is was such an awful/expensive/whatever place, it was not worth your while to stop. Could they prove otherwise in a court of law?
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Chris Bertram
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Chris Bertram »

But we don't have a red circle plate here, only a vague direction sign. To legally restrict access, you need a no motor vehicles sign with an "Except for access" plate, but even then it relies mostly on honesty, because enforcement will be very low down the police priority list.
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Chris Bertram
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by Chris Bertram »

Mark Hewitt wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:59
FosseWay wrote:She didn't seem to have a response when I pointed out that (a) I was using the road as access to the place I was currently parked in and (b) there were no yellow lines or other parking restrictions visible as far as the eye could see.
Yes as far as I know the "Unsuitable for motors" is advisory. If traffic were banned then there should be a "No Vehicles" sign or similar.
I started an Unsuitable for motors thread a little while back, citing examples where it seems to be used inappropriately.
Last edited by Chris Bertram on Wed Apr 14, 2021 19:30, edited 1 time in total.
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fchd
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by fchd »

Vierwielen wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 18:36 Part of the problem from the authority's point of view is that policing it is very difficult as they have to prove that you did indeed use the road as a short cut. A valid defence would be that you were looking at moving to the locality concerned, but on driving through you saw that is was such an awful/expensive/whatever place, it was not worth your while to stop. Could they prove otherwise in a court of law?
That might work if you were spotted on that road once.

If you were clocked on it five days a week, you'd need to come up with a new argument!
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by jgharston »

multiraider2 wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2009 18:54 Yes. As I have mentioned before; the sign depicted in my Avatar is treated with derision by locals in St. Ives. I guess this is based on the fact that their cars are under six foot wide.

It would be interesting if a car did get stuck though. I guess that could lead police to suggest a "driving without due care and attention" offence.
See also my avatar. :)

Though Lockdown has meant we haven't had the usual upsidedown minis and blown clutches.
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M4 Cardiff
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by M4 Cardiff »

fchd wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 19:24
Vierwielen wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 18:36 Part of the problem from the authority's point of view is that policing it is very difficult as they have to prove that you did indeed use the road as a short cut. A valid defence would be that you were looking at moving to the locality concerned, but on driving through you saw that is was such an awful/expensive/whatever place, it was not worth your while to stop. Could they prove otherwise in a court of law?
That might work if you were spotted on that road once.

If you were clocked on it five days a week, you'd need to come up with a new argument!
Obviously the formal one is the red ringed car and bike sign with a 'Except for access' plate, but is this ever actually enforced and can it be? Even an ANPR system that flags if you have gone in one end and come out of the other not long after, could produce an unwanted bycatch of delivery drivers who need to drop off there unless an extensive CCTV system was set up verifying whether or not someone actually stopped at an address for something before leaving the area, and then we get to excessive costs and CCTV overkill.

I guess in pre camera-enforcement days, were these restrictions purely honesty-based, or did the police occasionally put an enforcement car on trouble areas, just like they used to do with speed traps, before the camera vans took over?
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Re: Local Access Only

Post by trickstat »

M4 Cardiff wrote: Thu Apr 15, 2021 18:12
fchd wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 19:24
Vierwielen wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 18:36 Part of the problem from the authority's point of view is that policing it is very difficult as they have to prove that you did indeed use the road as a short cut. A valid defence would be that you were looking at moving to the locality concerned, but on driving through you saw that is was such an awful/expensive/whatever place, it was not worth your while to stop. Could they prove otherwise in a court of law?
That might work if you were spotted on that road once.

If you were clocked on it five days a week, you'd need to come up with a new argument!
Obviously the formal one is the red ringed car and bike sign with a 'Except for access' plate, but is this ever actually enforced and can it be? Even an ANPR system that flags if you have gone in one end and come out of the other not long after, could produce an unwanted bycatch of delivery drivers who need to drop off there unless an extensive CCTV system was set up verifying whether or not someone actually stopped at an address for something before leaving the area, and then we get to excessive costs and CCTV overkill.

I guess in pre camera-enforcement days, were these restrictions purely honesty-based, or did the police occasionally put an enforcement car on trouble areas, just like they used to do with speed traps, before the camera vans took over?
I know that police cars will often sit by this bus gate in Stevenage between being called to incidents. It is intended to stop drivers using it as a route between the old Great North Road and the A602 towards Hertford and Ware.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.876824, ... 312!8i6656
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