Peterborough council's car cruise injunction plans to tackle anti-social driving hit speed bump

Council plans to tackle drifting and dangerous driving associated with car cruise events in the city have hit a speed bump.

Residents lives have been made a misery for years in Peterborough because of the noise and other anti social behaviour that comes with large car meetings held in car parks and business estates in the city.

Last year a special task force looking into the problem was set up by Peterborough City Council – with an injunction being recommended to give police powers to stop drivers causing issues.

The task force said that the bans have worked so-far for councils, including Stevenage and other authorities in the Black Country.

This year there have already been a number of car cruise meetings in Peterborough, with cllr Julie Stevenson labelling one at the beginning of April as ‘one of the most disruptive events that residents have ever experienced.’

The meetings have been held at Tresham Road in Orton, with residents living near-by complaining of noise from the cars going on until the small hours of the morning, and video taken from a drone showing drivers performing ‘donuts’ on public roads.

However, it appears the council’s plans to impose the injunction across the city may be in doubt.

A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: “Following legal advice, we are currently awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court regarding a legal challenge to an injunction in the UK, before proceeding with our own plans to set up a car cruising injunction in Peterborough.

“In the meantime, we are continuing to gather evidence to support setting up an injunction and will continue to work with partners, including the police, to tackle car cruising in Peterborough.”

Last year the council installed speed bumps at Stapledon Road in Orton, where car cruises had previously been held, causing issues for businesses in the area. Speed bumps were installed on the road – which resulted in the cruises being moved to Tresham Road.

A council spokesperson said there were no plans to install speed bumps in Tresham Road, but they were considering suitable traffic calming measures.