Lead Member for Transport and Environment
DECISIONS made by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Claire Dowling, on 20 October 2025 at Committee Room, County Hall, Lewes
Councillors MacCleary and Maples spoke on item 4 (see minute 19)
Councillors Field and Maples spoke on item 5 (see minute 20)
Councillors Field and Redstone spoke on item 6 (see minute 21)
15. Decisions made by the Lead Cabinet Member on 8 September 2025
15.1 The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2025.
16. Disclosure of Interests
16.1 Councillor Field declared a personal interest in item 5 as a Member of Rother District Council. She did not consider this to be prejudicial.
17. Urgent items
17.1 There were none.
18. Reports
18.1 Reports referred to in the minutes below are contained in the minute book.
19. Petition: Installation of a pedestrian crossing and a 20mph speed limit in Lewes Road, Newhaven
19.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport together with written comments from Councillor Osborne, a Local Member.
19.2 Ms Vera Zakharov, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to install a safe crossing point and a 20mph speed limit in Lewes Road, Newhaven spoke to highlight safety concerns for pedestrians including children crossing Lewes Road, the importance of reinforcing driver perception of Lewes Road being within a residential area and the geography of Lewes Road contributing to the factors that make it difficult for pedestrians to cross.
DECISIONS
19.3 The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise petitioners that:
(1) A potential scheme to install a pedestrian crossing and implement a 20mph speed limit with associated traffic calming in Lewes Road between Lawes Avenue and Robinson Road will be assessed for possible inclusion in the Capital Programme for Local Transport Improvements for 2026/27 and that petitioners will be advised of the outcome of this assessment when the results become available in early November 2025; and
(2) Petitioners may wish to consider setting up a Community Speedwatch Group for the area to carry out occasional speed checks.
REASONS
19.4 The Council has considered the petition calling on the County Council to install a pedestrian crossing and a 20mph speed limit between Lawes Avenue and Robinson Road, in Lewes Road, Newhaven.
19.5 In early November 2025 officers will advise petitioners if a potential scheme to install a pedestrian crossing and implement a 20mph speed limit with associated traffic calming in Lewes Road between Lawes Avenue and Robinson Road, has been progressed to detailed appraisal. It is important to note that progression to detailed appraisal does not guarantee inclusion in a future Capital Programme for Local Transport Improvements.
19.6 If petitioners wish to consider setting up a Community Speedwatch group for the area to carry out occasional speed checks, further details are available online via http://www.communityspeedwatch.co.uk/ or petitioners can contact the District Speedwatch Administrator at csw@sussex.pnn.police.uk.
20. Proposed introduction of parking charges, Broomhill Sands Car Park, Camber
20.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
DECISIONS
20.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to:
(1) Note the proposal to introduce off-street parking charges at Broomhill Sands Car Park, Camber; and
(2) Approve that a 21-day public consultation is taken on the proposal outlined in the report.
REASONS
20.3 The proposed introduction of parking charges at Broomhill Sands Car Park would generate revenue to contribute towards the maintenance of the car park and nearby Camber Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest. Prior to the introduction of charges, informal and formal public consultations must be carried out.
21. Community Match Schemes for 2025/26
21.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport with a correction to paragraph 2.3. It was confirmed that the table at paragraph 2.3 in the report should say layby scheme for the Ewhurst Parish Council scheme instead of introduction of a 30mph speed limit.
DECISIONS
21.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to:
(1) Agree that £15,000 (subject to detail design and any unforeseen circumstances) of match funding is allocated towards the Catsfield Community Match speed reduction scheme for detailed design work and construction in 2025/26;
(2) Agree that £25,000 (subject to detail design and any unforeseen circumstances) of match funding is allocated towards the Ewhurst Community Match layby scheme for detailed design work and construction in 2025/26; and
(3) Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to approve the 50% match funding contribution for the schemes in resolutions 1 and 2, up to a maximum contribution of £60,000 (including contingencies) per scheme once the design and construction costs are known.
REASONS
21.3 The Community Match programme provides the opportunity for town or parish councils, local resident groups and organisations to secure match funding to enable local priority schemes to be delivered. These are schemes which otherwise would not materialise using County Council funding alone through the capital programme of local transport improvements.