St Stephen in Brannel launches its first Speed Watch patrol

Rain was coming down steadily over St Stephen in Brannel this month, and four volunteers in high-vis tabards were out on a village bridge anyway, notepads ready, watching the traffic go by. It was the parish’s first Community Speed Watch session, and the start of something residents had been waiting for.

A new partnership with the police

The session was run in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police, and marked the official launch of Community Speed Watch in the parish. St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council thanked the volunteers who gave up their time to get the scheme off the ground, calling it fantastic to finally get a first session underway.

Community Speed Watch hands residents a direct, hands-on role in road safety within their own area. Every session helps raise awareness of vehicle speeds and encourages safer driving through the parish, adding one more layer of local eyes to the roads people use every day.

Five spots already earmarked

The parish currently has five approved locations across St Stephen in Brannel where monitoring can take place, giving the volunteer teams options depending on where concerns are highest. Regular sessions are planned in the coming months, building on the momentum of this first outing, and it is part of a wider push to get more of the community directly involved in keeping local roads safer.

Getting involved

The parish council is keen to hear from anyone interested in becoming a Community Speed Watch volunteer. It is not just about standing at the roadside with a speed gun. Every extra pair of hands means more sessions can run, and more of the parish’s five approved sites get covered.

For now, the scheme has its first session behind it, five locations ready to go, and a small team of volunteers who stood on a bridge in the rain to make it happen.

📷Community Speed Watch volunteers on their first session in St Stephen in Brannel. Credit: St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish Council