Decision details

To consider the petition asking that the County Council urgently improves safety measures to help save the lives of drivers and pedestrians at the junction of the A267 with the B2102 at Cross in Hand following a pedestrian fatality on 22 March 2022 on the A267 to the east of the B2102 junction.

34.1     To avoid the potential for a perceived conflict of interest, the Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport on behalf of the Lead Member for Transport and Environment.

34.2     Mrs Lesley Dann, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to urgently improve safety measures to help save the lives of drivers and pedestrians at the junction of the A267 with the B2102 at Cross in Hand spoke to highlight the safety of road users and the benefits that a pedestrian crossing may provide for the junction.

DECISIONS

34.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that:

(1) following the outcome of the detailed appraisal process, they will be informed whether the scheme has been assessed as a high priority for potential inclusion in the 2023/24 capital programme of local transport improvements which will be considered by the Lead Member at a meeting in March 2023; and

(2) following speed surveys undertaken along the A267/A265 between Cross in Hand to Heathfield, the resultant assessment has identified that the existing 40mph speed limit remains the most appropriate and safest speed limit for this road.

REASONS

34.4     Following the pedestrian fatality near the A267/B2102 junction in Cross in Hand, the introduction of junction and pedestrian improvements have been further assessed using the County Council’s scheme prioritisation process for local transport improvements. The scheme has met the benchmark score through stage 1, the high level sift of the scheme assessment process meaning it progresses to detailed appraisal (stage 2).

34.5     The detailed appraisal assesses at a more granular level the extent to which the scheme would fulfil the Local Transport Plan (LTP) objectives, its relative value for money, and the potential risks associated with its delivery.  The detailed appraisal process is undertaken between December and January each year ahead of developing the next year’s capital programme of local transport improvements. Following the detailed appraisal, Petitioners will be informed whether the scheme has been assessed as a high priority for potential inclusion in the 2023/24 capital programme of local transport improvements which will be considered by the Lead Member at a meeting in March 2023.

34.6     Following speed surveys undertaken along the A267/A265 between Cross in Hand to Heathfield, the resultant assessment has identified that the existing 40mph speed limit remains the most appropriate and safest speed limit for this road.

34.7     The junction at Cross in Hand has recently been treated as part of the Road Safety Team’s annual assessment process. It will continue to be monitored as part of the County Council’s commitment to reducing the number of killed and seriously injured on our road network through the Local Safety Scheme identification work.