Report to:
|
Lead Member for
Transport and Environment
|
Date of
meeting:
|
24 February
2025
|
By:
|
Director of
Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title:
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Petition for traffic
calming measures on Beachy Head Road, Eastbourne
|
Purpose:
|
To consider a petition
requesting traffic calming measures or speed reduction initiatives
for Beachy Head Road, Eastbourne.
|
RECOMMENDATIONS: The
Lead Member is recommended to advise petitioners that:
(1)
Speed data gathered
has shown that the vast majority of drivers are travelling at an
appropriate speed for the conditions of the road and the
environment through which it passes. For the reasons set out in
paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3, Beachy Head Road does not meet East Sussex
County Council’s policy criteria for a lower speed
limit;
(2)
The road safety
assessment of Beachy Head Road has concluded that the only highway
measures that would potentially reduce the speed of the small
number who drive in a dangerous or anti-social manner would be the
widespread introduction of road narrowings and road humps.
However, these measures would likely be ineffective due to the
topography of the road and would have significant impact on
emergency services vehicles and bus/coach services. For these
reasons a street lighting and traffic
calming scheme for Beachy Head Road is not
appropriate;
(3)
A traffic sign and
road marking enhancement scheme which will
highlight the areas
of the road where extra caution is needed will be taken forward and
implemented in 2025/26 financial year; and
(4)
Concerns about
vehicle speeds and driver behaviour has been shared with Sussex
Police to enable continued targeted enforcement.
1
Background Information
1.1.
At the County Council meeting on 8 October 2024, a petition was
presented to the Chairman by Councillor Wright on behalf of a group
of concerned members of the public, as well as local residents,
following a number of incidents in 2024 including 2 tragic
fatalities in April and August of that year. The petitioners are
requesting traffic calming measures or speed reduction initiatives
are implemented on Beachy Head Road in Eastbourne.
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.
Beachy Head Road is a C class rural road which passes through part
of the South Downs National Park. Except for a visitor centre and
pub, there is no frontage development. The area has no street
lighting and is subject to the National Speed Limit. A location
plan can be found at Appendix 1.
2.2.
The setting of appropriate and effective speed limits has been
subject to a significant level of research. It is important drivers
are provided with a consistent message, so they know what is
expected of them as they enter different road environments. A
predominant factor considered when determining an effective speed
limit is the number of properties that are visible to drivers.
2.3.
Due to the very limited frontage development and local
characteristics, Beachy Head Road does not meet the Council’s
policy requirements for a lower speed limit; therefore, the
national speed limit applies. Whilst it is subject to the national
speed limit, the onus is on the individual driver to drive in a
safe and judicious manner, and to the conditions of the road and
the surroundings through which they pass. It is recognised
nationally that most drivers will travel at the speed they consider
to be safe for the conditions of the road, and this is reflected in
the speed data that has been collected. The vast majority of
drivers using Beachy Head Road are choosing to travel at a speed
far below the national speed limit.
2.4.
Where the national speed limit applies, it is not necessary to
provide repeater signs indicating the limit unless there is street
lighting present. If a lower speed limit were to be introduced on
Beachy Head Road, it would be necessary to provide speed limit
repeater signs at regular intervals along the road. There is a risk
that some drivers would see the new signed speed limit as a target
or assume that it is safe and appropriate to drive to the limit
throughout the area, which could result in increased speeds.
2.5.
The Road Safety Team routinely engage with Sussex Police following
crashes that result in a fatality or serious injury to discuss the
full details of the crash, consider if there were any highway
related causation factors and ensure appropriate action is taken if
required. There were no highway related causation factors
identified in the circumstances surrounding the fatal crashes that
occurred on Beachy Head Road in 2024.
2.6.
East Sussex County Council runs an annual programme whereby sites
within the county that have 4 or more personal injury crashes
recorded in a 3-year period are identified for investigation. For
rural areas a radius of 50 metres is used. This analysis ensures
that we are targeting our limited budget at the locations which
will have the most impact at reducing the number of people being
killed and seriously injured on our roads. No sites along Beachy
Head Road have been identified for inclusion within this
programme.
2.7.
In addition to this, East Sussex County Council also runs an annual
route study programme which focuses on A and B class roads, as they
carry the highest volume of traffic, and the greater proportion of
crashes occur on these routes. Beachy Head Road is a C class road
and therefore does not form part of this programme of work.
2.8.
The crash record for Beachy Head Road and Birling Gap Road shows
there have been 19 crashes resulting in personal injury reported to
the Police in the period between 1 October 2021 and 31 December
2024. A crash plan can be found at Appendix 2.
2.9.
24-hour speed data has been collected from 5 sites along Beachy
Head Road and Birling Gap Road over a 7-day period between 21 and
28 November 2024. The full speed data, including a site map, can be
found at Appendix 3, with a summary provided below:
|
Site 1
(6346)
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Site 2
(6347)
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Site 3
(6348)
|
Site 4
(6349)
|
Site 5
(6350)
|
|
near to
coach parking
|
near to
zig-zag bends
|
Shooters
Bottom Car Park
|
east of
Birling Gap
|
north of
Birling Gap
|
85th%ile
speed
|
38mph
northbound
|
26mph
eastbound
|
48mph
eastbound
|
41mph
eastbound
|
33mph
northbound
|
38mph
southbound
|
29mph
westbound
|
47mph
westbound
|
38mph
westbound
|
33mph
southbound
|
Average
speed
|
29mph
northbound
|
22mph
eastbound
|
37mph
eastbound
|
35mph
eastbound
|
27mph
northbound
|
29mph
southbound
|
24mph
westbound
|
37mph
westbound
|
32mph
westbound
|
28mph
southbound
|
The
speed data shows that the vast majority of drivers are driving at
speeds that are appropriate for the road, with 37mph being the
highest average speed recorded across all 5 locations. Average
speeds of 22mph and 24mph were recorded close to the zig-zag bends.
It is acknowledged that a small number of drivers will use the road
to drive in a dangerous or anti-social manner. The responsibility
to deal with such drivers and poor driver behaviour falls to the
police and these concerns have been shared with Sussex Police to
enable targeted enforcement to be carried out. It is important to
highlight that Sussex Police can and do charge drivers who decide
to drive in a dangerous manner, for example by overtaking at
inappropriate locations, and not only those who drive in excess of
the speed limit.
2.10.
The road safety assessment of Beachy Head Road has concluded that
the only highway measures that would potentially reduce the speed
of the small number who drive in a dangerous or anti-social manner
would be the widespread introduction of road narrowings and road
humps. However, these measures would likely be ineffective due to
the topography of the road and would have a significant impact on
emergency services vehicles and bus/coach services. In addition,
the proposed scheme would likely be opposed due to the location,
the need to introduce extensive street lighting and the impact on
drivers. For these reasons, a street lighting and traffic calming
scheme for Beachy Head Road is not appropriate.
2.11.
While Beachy Head Road does not meet our policy criteria for a
reduced speed limit and a traffic calming scheme would not be
appropriate, the Road Safety Team will be implementing a traffic
sign and road marking improvement scheme in the new financial year.
Enhancements to traffic signs, hazard marker posts and road
markings will help to delineate the bends and make the road layout
clearer for drivers, to aid them as they travel through the
area.
2.12.
An assessment to determine if speed cameras may be suitable for
Beachy Head Road has been carried out, however the criteria has not
been met to enable this to be taken forward.
3 Conclusion and Reasons for
Recommendations
3.
3.1.
It is recommended that the petitioners are advised that the
implementation of traffic calming or speed reduction measures is
not appropriate for the reasons set out in paragraph 2.3 and
2.10.
3.2.
It is also recommended that the petitioners are advised that a
traffic signs and road marking improvement scheme will be taken
forward by the Road Safety Team in the new financial year, and that
the concerns of the petitioners relating to poor driver behaviour
will continue to be shared with Sussex Police to enable on-going
targeted enforcement.
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer:
Victoria Bartholomew
Tel. No. 01424 724284
Email: Victoria.bartholomew@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
Councillor Wright,
Councillor Shing
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
None