MP Criticises Council Over Decision Not to Install Speed Camera on Busy Lancs Road

A Lancashire MP has criticised the county council’s decision not to install a speed camera on a key road, claiming it puts local residents at risk, according to LancsLive.

Andy MacNae, Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen, expressed disappointment after Lancashire County Council reversed an earlier commitment to introduce a speed camera on Burnley Road East — a busy route connecting Waterfoot and Water. The pledge was initially made under the former Conservative‑led council, following pressure from local campaigners in Whitewell.

However, the newly Reform‑led council says the road does not meet national requirements for the installation of a fixed speed camera. Despite this technical finding, council officials say they will maintain communication with residents and continue to monitor the road, with a potential reassessment in 12 months.

The campaign to address speeding on Burnley Road East began in 2022 when Green Party councillor Julie Adshead launched a petition on Change.org titled Save lives on Burnley Road East – Install speed cameras now!. More than 400 people signed the petition, and campaigners also submitted over 20 handwritten letters from pupils at Water School to the then Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Pratt MBE.

Accident Data GapWhile much of the debate hinges on concerns about road safety, there is as yet no published data showing a specific, recent spike in accidents or casualties on Burnley Road East that meets the criteria of fatal or serious crashes. Without detailed crash statistics (for example, number of collisions per year, distinguishing between slight and serious injury, or trend over time), it's difficult to quantify exactly how dangerous the road is relative to criteria used for speed camera deployment.

Potential ImplicationsResidents argue that even in the absence of a high number of officially classified serious or fatal accidents, near‑misses, speeding reports, or dangerous driving behaviour should also count toward preventive measures. If the accident rate were demonstrably elevated, especially in terms of serious or fatal collisions, this would likely strengthen the case under the national criteria for deploying a static speed camera.

MP MacNae criticised the council’s decision, saying:

“I am disappointed that Lancashire County Council are not listening to the voices of residents who call for preventative measures such as speed cameras. The council’s approach to road safety is not in line with established best practices and they are putting the people of Rossendale at risk from dangerous drivers.”

A spokesperson for the county council responded:

“We have been in preliminary discussions with residents who highlighted speeding concerns on Burnley Road East, Rossendale. However, following a full feasibility study in line with recommended guidance carried out by our road safety engineering team, it has become apparent that this stretch of road does not meet the national criteria for the deployment of a static speed camera.Whilst we appreciate that this may not be the outcome residents were hoping for, we will continue to engage with residents and monitor this location, with the option of reviewing again in a further 12 months.”