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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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20 November
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 for a safe
crossing to Hartfield Square on The Avenue in Eastbourne
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Purpose:
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To consider a petition
calling on the County Council for a safe crossing to Hartfield
Square on The Avenue in Eastbourne
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Lead Member is
recommended to advise the petitioners that a potential scheme to
implement pedestrian crossing facilities to Hartfield Square on The
Avenue has been assessed through the approved High Level Sift
process and has met the necessary criteria to be taken forward to
detailed appraisal.
1
Background Information
1.1.
At the County Council meeting on 18 July 2023, a petition was
presented to the Chairman by Councillor Rodohan on behalf of a
group of concerned members of the public. The group are requesting
that a safe crossing to Hartfield Square on The Avenue is provided
by the County Council.
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.
The Avenue is covered by a 30-mph speed limit, as indicated by the
system of street lighting. Hartfield Square is located on the
western side of The Avenue between St Anne’s Road and
Eversfield Road. A location plan can be found at Appendix 1.
2.2.
The Avenue is an A-class road and forms a main route into and out
of Eastbourne town centre. There is a high level of frontage
development which is made up of both business and residential
properties. Hartfield Square is a park and garden with a
children’s play area. There is an existing uncontrolled
crossing point on The Avenue to the south-western side of Hartfield
Square. This is in the form of dropped kerbs with tactile paving
and a central pedestrian refuge with tactile paving and illuminated
bollards.
2.3.
Crash data supplied by Sussex Police for the three-year period up
to 31 July 2023 shows that there have been six crashes resulting in
personal injury along the entire length of The Avenue. None of
these crashes involved pedestrians. A crash data plan can be found
at Appendix 2.
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 the Integrated Transport
Programme.
2.5.
The request for a safe crossing to Hartfield Square on The Avenue
has been assessed through the approved High Level Sift process to
determine if it may be a priority for future consideration. This
was a fairly broad assessment to include all types of pedestrian
crossing facilities (ranging from additional uncontrolled crossing
points, to controlled crossings such as a zebra or signalised
crossing). The benchmark score was met, and the scheme will now go
forward for further detailed appraisal for possible inclusion
within the draft Capital Programme. The programme will be
considered for approval by the Lead Member for Transport and
Environment at the end of March 2024.
3 Conclusion and Reasons for
Recommendations
3.
3.1.
It is recommended that the petitioners be advised that a scheme to
improve pedestrian crossing facilities to Hartfield Square on The
Avenue has met the necessary benchmark score to be considered for
detailed appraisal and for possible inclusion within the Capital
Programme.
3.2.
The County Council’s Infrastructure, Planning and Place Team
will provide an update to Councillor Rodohan and the Lead
Petitioner in February 2024 once the detailed appraisal process is
complete.
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer:
Victoria Bartholomew
Tel. No. 01424 724284
Email: Victoria.Bartholomew@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
Councillor
Rodohan
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
None