Tory peer who quit parish council in row over 30mph limit introduced same rule on his own land
A Conservative peer who quit a parish council over making a road 30mph had already introduced the same speed limit on his own land, it has emerged.
Lord Howard of Rising, who owns the 12th-century seat of Castle Rising, part of the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, stood down from the local authority after 35 years in an acrimonious row with “newcomers”.
He had opposed a campaign to halve the current 60mph speed limit on the road running through Castle Rising, which was passed at a council meeting last month, leading to him resigning in protest.
At the time of his resignation, he said: “This parish council has become something with which I do not wish to be associated”.
The Telegraph has since learnt that the life peer, whose ancestor William d’Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel, built the lavish fortress that dominates the village, had previously brought in a 30mph limit on his own land.
The Telegraph understands that the speed limit signs on Lord Howard’s private land were erected to assess whether they had any impact. They were taken down after complaints from pro-30mph activists that they could influence voters on the village-wide limit.
Unauthorised signs
Local historian Dr Barry Blades asked Castle Rising parish council: “Is the parish council aware of the circumstances in which several unauthorised 30mph speed limit signs were erected and then removed in the village in the period before the May elections?”
The council responded that “this was a personal initiative by Lord Howard and the signs were put up on his own private land”.
But in the row over the same limit for public roads in the picturesque hamlet, Lord Howard, 82, a close friend of the late Prince Philip, had argued that installing 30mph signs would damage the character of the area – which is in a conservation area – and said people naturally slow down because of the winding route.
In a scathing resignation letter, Lord Howard said: “There has always been a very friendly and amicable relationship at the council, but recently this has changed.
“I felt the council was going in a direction that was wrong for the village. People have moved into Castle Rising with different views on how they wanted to do things and the only correct thing for me to do was to resign.”
He “was applauded as he left the meeting” after announcing his resignation, minutes from Nov 3 say, and he criticised “truly shocking behaviour” where he claimed the previous clerk “was referred to the police for assisting me in standing for election”, despite following rules by resigning beforehand.
Residents’ wishes
Claire Smith, the villager who led the ultimately successful bid to lower the speed limit, told councillors: “To vote against [the speed limit] is to vote against the very clear wishes of the residents of Castle Rising.”
On Friday night, an ally of Lord Howard leapt to his defence and warned parishioners that they would no longer benefit from an aristocratic pocket.
Former councillor David Goddard said: “It is a very sad day for parishioners and Castle Rising. Lord Howard contributed vastly to the well-being of the village and also covered much of the expense which will now be placed on parishioners.”
Lord Howard was contacted for comment.
