Agenda and minutes

1.1       The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 15 March 2021.

Disclosure by all Members present of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the Members regard the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

2.1       There were no disclosures in interests.

Notification of any items which the Lead Member considers urgent and proposes to take at the appropriate part of the agenda.

3.1       There were none notified.

4.1       Reports referred to in the minutes below are contained in the minute book.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

5.1       The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

DECISIONS

5.2       The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that:

1)         During June 2020, East Sussex Highways undertook repairs east of the junction with Plumpton Lane. The work included a large patch repair to address the undulation in the road and a new road marking to highlight the edge of carriageway.

2)         The B2116/A275 junction has been identified as a Local Safety Scheme.  Works will be carried out, this financial year, to improve the existing signing on the approaches to the junction to encourage lower speeds and highlight the need for drivers to give way.

3)         The B2116 between the County boundary near Keymer and A275 junction near Offham is one of the routes identified for a Strategic Casualty Reduction study during 2021/2022.

Reasons

5.3       A number of actions, as detailed in the report, have been taken to address the petitioner’s concerns and improve the road safety of the B2116. In addition, the B2116 is an identified route for a Strategic Casualty Reduction study, and a range of safety improvements will be considered for implementation later this financial year following a detailed analysis of the available crash data.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

6.1       The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

DECISIONS

6.2       The Lead Member RESOLVED to recommend to the County Council to:

1)      reject the notice of motion to set an authority-wide default 20mph speed limit for urban and village roads;

 

2)     note the County Councils speed limit policy is in line with current central government guidance, including our approach to 20 mph speed limits;

3)     note that those urban and village roads that demonstrate a history of personal injury crashes will continue to be identified and appropriate road safety measures introduced,  which may include 20mph speed limits, if the scheme is of sufficient priority for funding from the County Council’s capital allocation for local transport schemes; and 
 

4)     note that, where appropriate, the Council will continue to support 20mph speed limit schemes funded externally or, where possible, through our community match programme. 

Reasons

6.3       The Council’s current speed limit policy is in line with central government guidance and 20mph speed limit schemes can be implemented under the existing policy where there is an assessed need and funding is available. This includes utilising funding from stakeholders and other sources, such as the community match funding and planning contributions.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

7.1       The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

DECISIONS

7.2       The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1)         Approve the development of an Enhanced Partnership for East Sussex and the giving of a notice of intent to prepare an Enhanced Partnership Plan and accompanying Enhanced Partnership Scheme, as required and set out in section 138F of the Transport Act 2000.

Reasons

7.3       The establishment of the Enhanced Partnership together with required additional funding from Government is an opportunity to make significant improvements to bus services in East Sussex.From 1 July 2021 COVID-19 Bus Services Support Grant (CBSSG) and any successor funding to it; funding to transform services as outlined in the Strategy; and Bus Service Operators Grant, will only be available to Local Transport Authorities who have committed to entering into Enhanced Partnerships or started the statutory process of franchising services, and to operators who co-operate with the process. There would therefore be a very significant impact of not complying with the requirements of the Government Bus Back Better Strategy, potentially leading to the collapse of the commercial East Sussex bus market and a call on unsustainable levels of Council funding to replace it.