Agenda and minutes

21.1     The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2022.

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.

22.1     Councillor John Ungar declared a personal interest in item 5 as a Trustee of Old Town Community Library. He did not consider this to be prejudicial.

22.2     Councillor Steve Murphy declared a personal interest in item 6 as resident living in close proximity to the proposed roundabout. He did not consider this to be prejudicial.

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

23.1     There were none.

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

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

25.2     Ms Katherine Bruce, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to Make Compton Place Road safe for schoolchildren spoke to highlight safety concerns relating to narrow and sloping pedestrian footways on Compton Place Road. The Lead Petitioner read a statement from the Head Teacher of Gildredge House School which resides on Compton Place Road.

DECISIONS

25.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that:

(1) Pedestrian Guard Railing cannot be installed in the footway between Vicarage Road and Beechwood Crescent as it is not appropriate in these circumstances;

(2) A potential road safety improvement scheme for Compton Place Road has been assessed through our approved High Level Sift process and is not a priority for the County Council at the present time; and

(3) Petitioners may wish to consider taking a potential scheme forward through Community Match. A Feasibility Study (at a cost of £500) and speed data (at a cost of £422 per site) would be required prior to a Community Match application.

REASONS

25.4     Compton Place Road has been assessed for a variety of improvements several times over the last 7 years and the progression of road safety improvements in the vicinity of Gildredge House School is not presently a priority for funding from the County Council’s budget.

25.5     Appropriate improvements could be considered should an alternative source of income become available or an application through Community Match is successful.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

26.2     It was noted that Appendix 2 containing a map of crash data in the Eldon Road area was not included within the report prior to the meeting and was circulated to attendees during the meeting. A copy of Appendix 2 can be found in the minute book.

26.3     Mr Peter Diplock, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to install a pedestrian crossing outside Cavendish School – Eldon Road, Eastbourne, spoke to highlight safety concerns for children of a variety of ages crossing Eldon Road.

DECISIONS

26.4     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that:

(1) A potential scheme to implement a pedestrian crossing outside Cavendish School in Eldon Road has been assessed through our approved High Level Sift process and is not a priority for the County Council at the present time; and

(2) Petitioners may wish to consider taking a potential scheme forward through Community Match. A Feasibility Study (at a cost of £500) and speed data (at a cost of £422 per site) would be required prior to a Community Match application.

REASONS

26.5     Provision of a signalised pedestrian crossing outside of Cavendish School in Eldon Road is not a priority for the County Council at the present time.

26.6     Appropriate improvements could be considered should an alternative source of funding become available or an application through Community Match is successful.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

27.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport along with written comments from Councillor Gerard Fox as a Local Member for the proposed roundabout.

DECISIONS

27.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

(1) Note the outcome of the public consultation to introduce a four-arm roundabout at the Ersham Road/Diplocks Way/South Road junction in Hailsham; and

(2) Agree that the scheme progress to detailed design and construction.

REASONS

27.3     The Movement and Access Strategy for Hailsham and Hellingly (MASHH), and more recently the 2018 Wealden Local Plan Transport Study, identified the need to improve the Ersham Road/South Road mini-roundabout and South Road/Diplocks Way junction to support the planned housing and employment growth in Hailsham.

27.4     Proposals have been developed to replace the existing two junctions with a single four arm roundabout in order to help reduce congestion and queuing in the area, improve accessibility to the town centre and employment areas, improve active travel and public travel choices as well as improve safety for all users. 

27.5     To accommodate the proposed new roundabout necessitated the de-designation of the Ersham triangle village green.  Following submission of an application to the Planning Inspectorate by Wealden District Council, Hailsham Town Council and the County Council, the village green was de-designated in May 2022 with alternative provision being provided elsewhere in the south of the town.

27.6     The results of the public consultation undertaken in April/May 2022 show that there is a strong level of support for the introduction of a single four arm roundabout at the Ersham Road/Diplocks Way/South Road junction.

To consider excluding the public and press from the meeting for the remaining items of the agenda on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in Category 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), namely information relating to any individual.

28.1     It was RESOLVED to exclude the public and press from the meeting for the remaining agenda items on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), namely information relating to any individual.

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.

DECISIONS

29.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to approve the recommendations in the report, for the reasons set out in the report. The decision and reasons are set out in an exempt minute.