TRAFFIC CALMING STEERING GROUP: REPORT OF WORKING GROUP FOLLOWING MEETING HELD 21st August, 2006.

Present: Mrs. Jackie Rowland, Mrs. Linda Douglas, Mrs. Mary Cattermole and Mrs. Rosemarie Jeffery

The following issues were identified from Ashcombe Roundabout to C7 junction:-

1. Parking in bus bay by snack bar customers. Prevents bus stopping at bus stop.

2. Parking on slip road and bend leading to Kingston Hollow.

3. Continuous use by a roadside fast food vendor on the small car park at Ashcombe Hollow (which was originally intended for the use of Kingston residents when using the bus service) prevents locals from parking and catching bus – against County Transport Policy which aims to encourage public transport.

4. The Railway Bridge – parking on bends and pedestrian crossing. Pavements too narrow and poor state of repair. Increasing volume of lorries using road.

5. Ashcombe Hollow – Erosion and undermining of banks either side of road and excessive tarmac creep. Over the last 15 years erosion caused by illegal use of large lorries and aggressive cutting by Council’s maintenance programmes have lead to a consequent weakening of banks and widening of road. 15 years ago this road catered for single line traffic only with passing places to allow for 2-way traffic.

6. Footpath from Kingston Ridge to Ashcombe bridge – inadequate for pedestrians and cyclists. Should be a designated Bridleway.

7. The Ridge – Very dangerous cross-road with high speed and high volume of traffic. Short sight lines in this 60 mph speed limit. Through traffic unable to see users of the minor roads. The minor roads are a major link to the Southdowns National Trail and for non-vehicular traffic to Brighton.

8. The Ridge to The Avenue Crossroad - Pavement narrow and kerbstones frequently knocked out by lorries mounting the pavement. (Are the landslides which occasionally occur on the Hollow the result of lorry damage?). Very dangerous for pedestrians. Also, a concealed drive on South side.

9. Avenue crossroad – very dangerous crossroad. Traffic coming downhill naturally picks up speed and has poor visibility of users who are approaching the C324 from the minor access roads to the crossroad. Also dangerous for the traffic coming down the hill turning into the minor access roads – speed and volume of traffic behind them make slowing down (in order to turn) very difficult. Vehicles entering the C324 from the minor access roads at this junction have poor sight lines up the hill and can be impossible to exit during rush hours.

Ashcombe Lane/Wellgreen Lane – parking on pavements is a hazard. Vehicles frequently block the pavement entirely, forcing pedestrians (including mothers with young children) to go out into the road to pass.

10. Avenue Crossroad to the End of the Street – Danger spots include the riding stables (catering for parties of riders and including children and the disabled). Excessive speed and volume of traffic makes it very dangerous for riders and horses entering, exiting and using the village roads.

11. Bottom of The Street – 3-way traffic. Main school patrol crossing. Bus turning bay. Traffic to Street including busy Public House and traffic to farms and village hall and popular children’s playground and well-used village green. Blind bend. Narrow pavement on bend especially difficult for mothers with push-chairs and young children. Too narrow for wheel-chairs. Crossing point between

12. The School - for obvious safety reasons, speed of traffic needs to be reduced to 20 mph. Pavement outside school is too narrow and a guard rail is needed on traffic side of pavement at children’s exit. Zig-zag/No Parking markings needed outside children’s exit. Traffic controls should take into account children approaching school. Bus Stop – No Parking/Bus Stop markings required - these are essential to prevent vehicles parking in bus lay-by. This is where many village children catch the bus to school. If cars are parked here, the bus cannot pull in, and they have to go out into the fast traffic to get on get bus. Parking on pavement near school and bus stop is a particular problem.

13. Bus Stop – No Parking/Bus Stop markings required – these are essential to prevent vehicles parking in bus lay-by. This is where many village children catch the bus to school. If cars are parked here, the bus cannot pull in, and they have to go out into the fast traffic to get on the bus. Parking on pavement near school and bus stop is a particular problem.

14. The School to C7. Speed limit needs to be self-regulating on this stretch. Increased housing density and more young families. Rising speed levels and volume of traffic, and increasing volume of commercial vehicles and HGV’s (as evidenced by the damage and tyre marks on the banks of the hollow). Pavements are often totally obstructed by parked vehicles forcing all pedestrians on to the road (especially dangerous for mothers struggling with push chairs and young children). Pavements in need of repair. Flooding problems on road. Increasingly difficult (and sometimes dangerous) for residents to access and egress to houses.

15. Summary

Kingston Village should be returned to the people. A scheme which enhances the rural village environment should be introduced as early as possible. This village has been sliced in two by speed and volume of traffic making it difficult for each side to use facilities on the opposite side, e.g. school, Church, tennis courts, village hall, pub, village green, visits to friends. Because of the dangerous road, children have to be driven everywhere. It is understood that speed cushions and chicanes are effective measures which would be appropriate in this Conservation Area within the Area of Outstanding National Beauty.

Kingston Village does not want street lights or such measures as large speed humps which require lighting and/or excessive noise.

The C324 is wrongly classified in the E.Sussex Local Transport Plan 2006 – 2011 as an “Intra Rural Road”. This road is NOT an “Intra Rural Road for many reasons, e.g. it has a width restriction. The abuse of this restriction can clearly be seen in paras 5 and 8 above. It should clearly be classified as a VILLAGE ROAD. Kingston Parish Council’s response to the Provisional E.Sx Local Transport Plan 2006 – 2011 Consultation Draft drew attention to this and asked for it to be corrected. No reply was received to this request. (Incidentally, there was a similar type error in the 2000 draft Local Transport Plan when Kingston Parish Council drew attention to the fact that Kingston Parish was classified as a “Large Urban Area”!! No reply was ever received and the document was never amended.