FAQ

What costs will the programme cover?

The Suffolk County Council Communities 2020 grant business case allowed for up to two traffic surveys to be undertaken per Parish (for up to 123 Parishes), @£480 for both, using council contractors (this is on the assumption of 2 quiet lane designations per Parish on average).
The cost of the first pair of posts and signage per Parish was also included, @£600 budgetary estimate.
The costs for publication of the formal press notifications per batch of lanes are covered as well.
SCC Highways and Legal team time and any associated costs.
Programme related expenditure, such as conference calls, site visits and any specialist services or products that will help to facilitate the project in an effective and efficient manner.
A driver behaviour and awareness marketing campaign is also part of the programme scope. 

Further details on signpost costings

Budgetary estimates per post are based on similar activities that the Highways operate, comprising:
- £190 average for installation of a new standard size post (variable depending upon the post length)
- £50 average per sign, mounting strap and fitted (variable depending on choice of size)

A Signage Schedule Costing Sheet is available to assist the lead volunteers in working this out, taking into account any suitable existing signposts and other variables. For example, it is not permitted to share originating mandatory signage posts, e.g. national speed limit start / end, but warning signposts and repeater posts maybe used if suitable or requiring just a short extension). This spreadsheet is available in the How To guide.

What costs will the Parish need to cover?

The direct costs the Parish will incur will be for any advertising and printing for the public briefings, consultation letters and notices.
Parishes are expected to contribute towards any additional costs as required if more than 2 traffic surveys are necessary, and any additional signage costs above the initial £600 contribution (i.e. after the first pair of lane signs) *
Parishes will be notified of the anticipated costs following validation of the individual lane details, prior to commencing public consultation, so that they are aware of and can commit to any necessary costs not covered by the programme. Any required parish costs shall be invoiced after public consultation has concluded and to be paid upon completion (i.e. if the designation fails, or if successful, then after sign posts have been installed).

* Are any additional funds available for the Parish?

The original funding sources for this particular programme of designations has concluded in 2023 with no further funding currently available. 

Parishes requesting additional quiet lane designations should expect to be self-funded and require volunteers, to help manage the local consultations and collaborative stream-lined designation process, in conjunction with SCC Highways (subject to their agreement).  This should be cheaper than requiring SCC Highways to manage the whole process, but you should still expected to pay several thousand pounds due to the lack of economies of scale that this original programme of works were able to benefit from.

What is the main participation criteria?

The key criteria for the Parish/ town to consider, which will be validated, includes:
- the parish must be within the Suffolk County boundary
- and agree to provide a volunteer lead to co-ordinate activities
- with capacity to complete this activity by October 2021

The nominated lane(s) must single track (with passing places and no line markings) and already be quiet in nature, i.e.
- typically carrying less than 1,000 vehicle trips per day (either direction)
- with average speeds of less than 35 mph, and ideally below 30 mph

When is the deadline for registering our interest?

Initial expressions of interest are required 3 months after the SCC grant has been confirmed (i.e. 30 December).
Additional calls for further registrations will be publicised subsequently subject to funding and time constraints

What if the QL(‘s) cross into another Parish?

Both Parishes must support the nomination(s)  & hold a joint public meeting

What effect does Covid have on the process?

Zoom meetings will be required to undertake the public consultation and ‘meeting’

Assuming the Parish has fulfilled its obligations, how long does the process take?

Once the self-help process has been tested and documentation templated, a 4 month deployment wave is expected to cover the consultation, designation, design and deployment activities for completion

Will the QL sign be recognized by motorists and visitors from out of County?

Quiet Lanes are mentioned in the current Highway Code section 218. Other counties have also designated QL’s, including neighbouring Essex and Norfolk, but general driver awareness will be low, hence the need for a comms campaign to run alongside this mass deployment to raise awareness.

Are there any other signage options?

Yes, look at the Norfolk QL’s scheme which had smaller wooden post round-all signs which are more discrete. However, the recognised signage given in the Highway Code (section 218) should be used to maximise awareness and recognition. Signage clutter is one of the general comments from the public, so there will be an option for Parishes to chose a smaller (A3) or regular (A2) sized sign more suited to their location. 

Where are the audio replays for the previous calls to be found?

These are available under the QLS > Diary > Previous events listing

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Who has priority on a Quiet Lane?

No-one. All users share the road with care and no-one has more right of way than any other.

Are vehicles allowed on a Quiet Lane?

Yes. People need to get to their houses, farms and businesses, and others are out enjoying the natural surroundings.

What is the speed limit?

Speed limits will vary, but you are expected to drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear (this could be less than 25mph).

How do you judge your speed on a Quiet Lane?

You should drive carefully on narrow rural roads without a footway or footpath as it is easy to lose track of how fast you are travelling. Always slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary, giving pedestrians plenty of room as you pass, as the road is often very narrow and passing places infrequent. Nearly 70% of all road accidents occur on rural lanes.

What could be around the corner?

Walkers, cyclists and animals could be just around that corner ahead, but so could something large and agricultural. Expect the unexpected and give way generously.

What should we do to be seen and be safe?

High verges and hedges often restrict visibility – remember things larger and faster/smaller and slower also use the lanes, so slow down and proceed with care, especially when you cannot see what is ahead. Everyone should dress to be seen, especially in low light.

Can a speed traffic order be raised against a QL?

Yes, BUT, this requires a similar public consultation activity and would cost the Parish approx £5,000 for each such TRO. This is not in scope for this QL phases.

 Does 'Quiet Lane' designation make any changes to the ownership and maintenance of the road?

No. Suffolk County Council Highways shall still be responsible for maintenance as defined on the website: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/highway-maintenance/road-adoption/highways-and-private-roads/  Any reference to 'ownership' in the programme documentation, website or presentation relate to management of the 'self-help' process in order to keep the costs to a minimum. 

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