Motorists and local officials near Gloucester are expressing growing frustration over persistent speeding problems on roads that Gloucestershire County Council has yet to formally adopt — despite the roads being built 17 years ago.
Located in and around the Gloucester Business Park in Brockworth, these roads remain privately owned because the council has not assumed responsibility for their maintenance or traffic enforcement. This lack of adoption means that, although speed limit signs are in place, police lack the necessary legal authority — specifically a traffic regulation order — to enforce speed limits or penalize reckless driving on these roads.
At a council meeting held on June 24 at Shire Hall, Hucclecote parish councillor Chas Townley raised concerns about the issue. He urged the council to either adopt the roads or exercise existing powers to address speeding on these unadopted routes.
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“There is considerable concern about the extent of speeding and other poor driving habits within the roads of Gloucester Business Park,” Townley said. “We need to resolve the adoption of these roads as part of the broader situation affecting all roads in Coopers Edge.”
Townley also shared that developers’ agents reiterated unresolved issues raised with the county council back in 2019. He called for a local meeting involving the community and developers to find solutions.
The root of the problem lies in a set of roads originally slated for adoption in 2009, which remain under private ownership nearly two decades later. Townley questioned when the council would enforce the Section 106 agreement tied to the developers and the business park.
Responding to the concerns, Councillor Roger Whyborn, cabinet member for road safety, acknowledged his unfamiliarity with the specifics but pledged to investigate. He noted that prolonged delays over road adoptions are not uncommon and promised to follow up, including potentially arranging a dedicated meeting to tackle the complex issue.
Speeding violations are criminal offenses under the Road Traffic Regulation Act, which applies to all highways and any road accessible to the public in England and Wales. The Highway Code further clarifies that serious driving offenses, such as drink-driving, apply to all public places, including car parks. However, without formal adoption and associated traffic regulation orders, enforcement tools remain limited on these Gloucester Business Park roads.