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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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16 February
2026
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By:
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Director of
Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title:
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Community Match
Schemes
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Purpose:
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To set out proposed
expenditure for 2026/27 as contribution towards Community Match
schemes.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The
Lead Member is recommended to:
(1)
agree that
£60,000 of match funding is allocated towards the Ripe and
Chalvington Community Match signing and lining scheme and traffic
calming features for detailed design work and construction in
2026/27;
(2)
agree that
£15,000 of match funding is allocated towards the Wivelsfield
Community Match signing and lining 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
recommendations 1 and 2, up to a maximum contribution of
£60,000 per scheme once the design and construction costs are
known.
1
Background Information
1.1.
The Community Match initiative was
launched by the County Council in 2014. The initiative offered the
opportunity for local communities in East Sussex (typically a
parish or town council or community group) to take forward schemes
identified as a local priority, but not assessed to be of
sufficient priority to be delivered using County Council funding
alone through the Council’s capital programme of local
transport improvements.
1.2.
The Community Match process begins with a
feasibility study to assist communities in identifying possible
solutions to locally identified traffic or transport issues and
determining cost estimates. The feasibility study is undertaken by
East Sussex Highways and is funded by the Parish or Town Council,
residents’ group or organisation promoting the scheme. Many
potential schemes do not progress beyond the feasibility stage as
it becomes clear that the scheme is not feasible or would be too
expensive to deliver using local funding, or there is not agreement
among local residents and businesses about the scheme
proposals.
1.3.
If a Parish or Town Council or community
group support the measures suggested in the feasibility appraisal,
they can apply to the County Council for Community Match funds to
take the scheme forward to detailed design and construction. The
maximum financial input from the County Council is £60,000
per scheme, which needs to be matched by the Parish or Town Council
or community group. The feasibility appraisals are only able to
give approximate scheme costs and more detailed scheme costs can be
provided to applicants as more design work is undertaken. As part
of the Community Match funding applications, the relevant County
Councillors are asked whether they are supportive of the proposed
Community Match schemes in their division.
1.4.
The delivery of Community Match Schemes will help contribute
towards the County Council priorities of making best use of resources now
and for the future and keeping
vulnerable people safe.
2
Supporting Information
2.
2.1.
Although the Community Match funding scheme has now ended, the
County Council will still honour all applications submitted before
the decision was made to close the scheme. This will be the last
round of applications to be considered by the Lead Member for
Transport and Environment.
2.2.
Two schemes have been received requesting
funding to take a scheme forward. It is important that projects
have strong support from the local community and that they comply
with relevant County Council policies.
2.3.
A summary of the schemes, together with
estimated total cost, community contribution and Community Match
Fund contribution, is shown below. The community contribution will
be at least 50% of the detailed design and construction costs for
each scheme. The final costs will likely vary from the current
estimate once the detailed design has been undertaken and the
scheme fully costed. Therefore, the level of Community Match Fund
contribution allocated to each project, with a maximum contribution
of £60,000 per project, may change depending on the final
cost.
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Scheme
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Total
cost
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Community
contribution
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ESCC
Community Match Fund contribution
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Ripe and
Chalvington Parish Council – Introduction of additional
signing and lining/markings and traffic calming
features.
The scheme
would be delivered through the East Sussex Highways
contract.
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Circa
£120,000
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£60,000
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£60,000
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Wivelsfield Parish
Council – Introduction of additional signing and
lining/markings on South Road, Wivelsfield.
The scheme
would be delivered through the East Sussex Highways
contract.
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Circa
£30,000
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£15,000
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£15,000
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Risks
2.4 Communities
will be recharged their share of the detailed design and
construction work. In addition, for Community Match schemes there
is a notable risk around delivering schemes that include speed
limit or parking changes which require a Traffic Regulation Order
(TRO), and the increase in costs that comes with delivering these
types of schemes due to the additional resource and administration
required. If formal objections to TROs are received and cannot be
resolved by discussion with the objectors, objections must be
considered by Planning Committee. This process adds both time and
cost to the scheme.
3 Conclusion
and Reasons for Recommendations
3.
3.1.
The Community Match programme provided
the opportunity for town or parish councils, local resident groups
and organisations to secure match funding to enable local priority
schemes to be delivered which otherwise would not come forward
using County Council funding alone through the capital programme of
local transport improvements.
3.2.
Therefore, the Lead Member is recommended
to allocate £60,000 of Community Match funding to
signing and lining scheme and traffic calming features in Ripe and Chalvington and £15,000 of
Community Match funding for the introduction of additional signing
and lining in Wivelsfield.
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer:
Victoria Rojanachotikul
Email: Victoria.rojanachotikul@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
Councillor Nick
Bennett
Councillor Matthew
Milligan
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
Ripe and Chalvington Feasibility
Study
Ripe and Chalvington
Equality Impact
Assessment
Wivelsfield Feasibility
Study
Wivelsfield Equality Impact
Assessment