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Report to:
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Lead Member for
Transport and Environment
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Date of
meeting:
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22 May 2023
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By:
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Director of
Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title:
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Petition to implement
a one-way system and 20mph speed limit in Garfield Road,
Hailsham
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Purpose:
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To consider the need
for the implementation of a one-way system and 20mph speed limit in
Garfield Road, Hailsham
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Lead Member is
recommended to advise petitioners that:
(1)
A potential scheme
to implement a one-way system and 20mph speed limit in Garfield
Road has been assessed through our approved High Level Sift process
and is not a priority for the County Council at the present time;
and
(2)
Petitioners may
wish to consider taking a potential scheme forward through
Community Match. A Feasibility Study at a cost of £500 would
be required prior to a Community Match application.
1
Background Information
1.1.
At the County Council meeting on 7 February 2023, a petition was
presented to the Chairman by Councillor Murphy from a group of
residents from the Garfield Road area of Hailsham. The group
requests that the County Council implement a one-way system in
Garfield Road from Station Road to Bell Banks Road. In addition to
this they have requested that the speed limit is reduced to 20mph.
A copy of the petition is available in the Members’
Room.
1.2.
Standing Orders provide that where the Chairman considers it
appropriate, petitions are considered by the relevant Committee or
Lead Member and a spokesperson for the petitioners is invited to
address the Committee. The Chairman has referred this petition to
the Lead Member for Transport and Environment.
2 Supporting
Information
2.
2.1.
Garfield Road is a residential road with limited off-street parking
and some sections of double yellow lines. It is covered by a 30mph
speed limit, as indicated by the system of street lighting. A 7.5
tonne weight restriction also applies to the road.
2.2.
Crash data supplied by Sussex Police for the ten-year period up to
31 January 2023 shows that there have been no crashes resulting in
personal injury within Garfield Road. Location and crash data
plans, can be found at Appendix 1.
2.3.
A speed survey was undertaken in Garfield Road for the seven-day
period from 13 March 2023. This indicated average vehicle speeds of
17-mph in both directions.
2.4.
The County Council has a limited amount of funding to develop local
transport improvements and needs to ensure that resources are
targeted to those schemes which will be of greatest benefit to
local communities. To help prioritise the number of requests
received for improvements, a process was developed to determine
which schemes should be funded through the Integrated Transport
Programme.
2.5.
Experience has shown that one-way systems can often have a
detrimental effect on vehicle speeds. Since drivers are aware they
are not going to meet on-coming traffic, vehicle speeds can often
increase within the one-way system. As such, the request for a
one-way system and 20mph speed limit has included assessment of
traffic calming features which may be required to support the
measures.
2.6.
The request for a 20mph speed limit, one-way system and supporting
traffic calming features has been assessed through the approved
High Level Sift process and did not meet the benchmark score to be
taken forward.
3 Conclusion
and Reasons for Recommendations
3.
3.1.
It is recommended that the Lead Member for Transport and
Environment advises petitioners that a scheme to implement a 20mph
speed limit, one-way system and any supporting traffic calming
features in Garfield Road is not presently a priority for funding
from the County Council’s budget. However, appropriate
improvements could be considered should an alternative source of
funding become available, or if an application through Community
Match was successful.
3.2.
In order to determine what measures could be suitable in this area,
prior to a Community Match application, it is suggested that the
petitioners contact Hailsham Town Council to ascertain whether they
would be interested in supporting a scheme to try and influence
traffic conditions in the area. Support from the Town Council does
not need to be financial – any group interested in taking a
scheme forward through Community Match can provide the funding.
They would then need to commission a Feasibility Study at a cost of
£500. This would help to identify possible improvements for
further discussions and provide the group concerned with an
estimate of what they might cost to assist in their budget
considerations. The speed data for Garfield Road that was recently
collected can be provided to the group, upon request.
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer:
Victoria Bartholomew
Tel. No. 01424 724 284
Email: Victoria.Bartholomew@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
Councillor
Murphy
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
None