Issue - meetings

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

29.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport. The following Local Members indicated their support for schemes in their division, either in person or by email:

Councillor Davies, Dowling, Galley, Field, Lambert, O’Keeffe, Shuttleworth and Standley. 

29.2     Concern was raised that some large projects might preclude smaller projects being funded across the county as a whole and the prospect of a cap was discussed, though not formally recommended at this time.

DECISION

29.3     RESOLVED to (1) agree that £80,000 of match funding should be allocated towards two further specific community led transport improvement schemes for which design work has now been completed, for their construction in 2017/18, namely

·        St Andrew’s School Zebra Crossing, Eastbourne

·        Brighton Road, Lewes Puffin Crossing;

(2) agree that £29,600 of match funding should be allocated towards five specific community led transport improvement schemes for construction in 2017/18, namely

·        Coopers Green Road speed limit reduction

·        Cripps Corner Road layby

·        Catsfield school buildout and speed limit

·        Sacred Heart school flashing sign

·        Tourist information signs, Seaford; 

(3) agree that two applicants should be advised that it is not yet possible to take a decision on match funding and that they should commission feasibility studies for their schemes, namely

·        Sevenoaks Road pedestrian crossing/traffic calming, Eastbourne

·        Plumpton speed limit reductions;

(4) agree that the application for reduced speed limits in Piltdown should not be taken forward; and

(5) agree that the balance unallocated from the match funding available in 2017/18 should be held for potential allocation to schemes later this year.

Reasons

29.4     The Community Match was launched in 2014 and provides a mechanism under which the County Council has worked with communities to take forward locally important small scale transport improvements that were not of sufficient priority to be delivered using County Council funding alone.  The operation of Community Match has been reviewed and issues evaluated. Existing and potential schemes, together with the review, were considered by a Cross Party Member Panel, and its input helped form the recommendations.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

58.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.  Officers confirmed that Sedlescombe Parish Council wished to withdraw from the footpath scheme.  The written comments of Councillors Galley and Davies were noted. 

58.2     The scheme for the footway at Blackham and Ashurst will be subject to a Road Safety Audit, the results of which will be shared with Councillor Whetstone and Withyham Parish Council.  It was confirmed that the Parish Council would not incur any of the design costs, should the Road Safety Audit recommend a more expensive solution to the scheme and the community be unable to raise any revised match funding target. 

DECISIONS

58.3     RESOLVED to (1) agree that £26,750 of match funding should be allocated towards four specific community led transport improvement schemes for construction in 2016/17, the spend of £21,250 at Withyham to be subject to the outcome of the Road Safety Audit;

(2) agree that development work on two further community match schemes should commence for possible match funding later in 2016/17;

(3) agree that the remaining unallocated £122,857 from the match funding available in 2016/17 should be held for potential allocation to schemes in the next round of funding in autumn 2016; and

(4) thank the officers for their liaison work with funding partners.

Reasons

58.4     The decisions are in line with the recommendations of the Cross Party Member panel.