A group of councillors representing communities from across the South Downs have come together to combat motorcycle riders who break the law through excessive speed, noise and reckless driving. The newly formed task force is comprised of representatives at every level of Government, with members from the parish, district and county councils. The group is also supported by two local MPs, Gillian Keegan and Andrew Griffith.
The group founded by Chichester District Councillor and Cabinet Member, Alan Sutton, had their first virtual meeting on Thursday 28th May, where representatives raised their concerns and shared best practice. Following the initial meeting, Gillian Keegan MP raised many of these concerns with the Chief of Police, Giles York and Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne. Her remarks were echoed by Andrew Griffith MP who was also on the call. The response to their comments was positive with several initiatives discussed. Both MPs have since followed up with several more detailed questions that arose from the taskforce.
Gillian Keegan MP said, “working together as a community is definitely the right approach to address this issue. Primarily it is a matter of public safety, to combat reckless and dangerous driving but it’s also important to ensure we all stay sane on Sundays. We will support the group by taking things forward to the relevant authorities and, where necessary, to my colleagues in Government departments. I fully encourage more people to support our efforts and ask your local councillor to get involved by contacting Alan.”
Andrew Griffith MP said, “the reckless behaviour of a minority puts us all at risk. This should be treated by Sussex Police as a ‘risk to life’ issue, just like assault or worse. I applaud their response so far but we need this to continue across the summer months.”
After the meeting, Chair and organiser, Cllr. Alan Sutton said, “by bringing together every level of Government we can attack this issue from all sides with a comprehensive approach. I am very grateful to all the councillors who have already engaged and encourage my other colleagues to come on board. I want to thank our local MPs, Andrew and Gillian, for their support and for already taking significant action. I am also particularly grateful to our Council Leader, Eileen Lintill, who has supported this initiative from the start.”
