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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, pedestrian crossing and traffic calming measures
in Ocklynge Road, Eastbourne
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Purpose:
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To consider whether a
one-way system, pedestrian crossing and traffic calming measures
should be provided in Ocklynge Road, Eastbourne.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The
Lead Member is recommended to advise the petitioners
that:
(1)
A potential scheme
to implement a one-way system, pedestrian crossing and traffic
calming measures has been assessed through our approved High Level
Sift process and is not a priority for the County Council at the
present time.
(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 Ungar on behalf of a group
of residents from the Gore Park Avenue/Ocklynge Road area of
Eastbourne. The group requests that the County Council:
·
Implement a one-way system on the upper part of Ocklynge Road,
between Upperton Road and St Mary’s Road.
·
Provide an illuminated pedestrian crossing in the vicinity of Gore
Park Avenue.
·
Install structural traffic calming measures on Ocklynge Road.
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. A copy of the
petition is available in the Members’ Room.
2 Supporting
Information
2.
2.1.
Ocklynge Road is covered by a 30-mph speed limit, as indicated by
the system of street lighting. The northern end is residential with
limited off-street parking and several sections of double yellow
lines. This section of Ocklynge Road is used to access three other
roads – St Mary’s Road, Lower Road and Gore Park Avenue
(which is a private road). The southern end of Ocklynge Road
includes retail and commercial properties as well as residential
properties. This section of the road is a no-through road with
off-street parking facilities.
2.2.
Crash data supplied by Sussex Police for the three-year period up
to 31 January 2023 shows that there have been no crashes resulting
in personal injury within Ocklynge Road. A location plan, and crash
data plan can be found at Appendix 1.
2.3.
A speed survey was undertaken in Ocklynge Road for a seven-day
period starting 13 March 2023. As the main area of concern is at
the upper end of Ocklynge Road between Lower Road and Upperton
Road, the speed data was collected between Lower Road and St
Mary’s Road. This indicated average vehicle speeds of 13mph
for northbound traffic and 12mph for southbound traffic.
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 the 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 an Integrated Transport
Programme.
2.5.
The request for a one-way system, pedestrian crossing and traffic
calming scheme has been assessed through the approved High Level
Sift process to determine if it may be a priority for future
consideration; however, it did not meet the benchmark score to be
taken forward.
2.6.
Although the provision of a one-way system, pedestrian crossing and
traffic calming scheme is not currently a priority for the County
Council, the petitioners may wish to contact Eastbourne Borough
Council to determine their interest in supporting a community
funded scheme through the Community Match Initiative. A feasibility
study at a cost of £500 would be required prior to a
Community Match application.
3 Conclusion
and Reasons for Recommendations
3.
3.1.
It is recommended that the petitioners be advised that a
scheme to implement a one-way system, pedestrian crossing and
traffic calming measures in Ocklynge Road does not meet the
Council’s criteria and therefore, is not a priority for the
County Council at the present time. However, appropriate
improvements could be considered should an alternative source of
funding become available, or an application through Community Match
was successful.
3.2.
To determine what measures could be suitable in this area, prior to
a Community Match application, it is suggested that the petitioners
contact Eastbourne Borough Council to ascertain whether they would
be interested in supporting a scheme to try and influence traffic
conditions in the area. Support from the Borough 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. The speed data for Ocklynge Road that was recently
collected can be provided to the group. This would help 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.
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer:
Victoria Bartholomew
Tel. No. 01424 724 284
Email: Victoria.Bartholomew@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
Councillor
Ungar
Councillor
Rodohan
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
None