Calls to introduce a ‘signs only’ 20mph speed scheme in Burwash have failed to secure the support of a senior county councillor.
On Monday (July 15), Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, considered a petition calling on the authority to begin work on a “simple and affordable 20mph safety scheme” within the village, something petitioners argued could be achieved just by putting up new signage.
Council highways officers disputed this argument, saying there would need to be significant changes to the fabric of the road in Burwash to make a ‘self-regulating’ speed limit which complies with national rules.
The petition itself was prompted by frustrations surrounding proposals for a compliant scheme, which has been stuck in the early design stage since Burwash Parish Council first submitted a Community Match application in January 2021.
While the county council came up with an initial design, the project underwent significant changes following a Road Safety Audit.
Speaking at the meeting, ward councillor Eleanor Kirby Green attributed the lack of progress to the high costs associated with the changes said to be necessary by council officers.
Cllr Kirby-Green (Con) said: “The initial scheme was designed as part of the match funding process. It was designed by professionals … and it came out to about £70,000; match funded it was £35,000 for each party.
“Somehow it has managed to morph into a scheme where we are being told [it is going to cost] at least £170,000 — clearly that is prohibitive to the parish council.”
She added: “I don’t think this is true, but there are a huge amount of residents in Burwash who really believe East Sussex Highways have gone out of their way to … create an unaffordable scheme.”
Cllr Kirby-Green went on to argue other, cheaper, changes had not been properly considered by council officers.
She pointed to one element of the scheme in particular; plans to widen the village’s pavement. It is understood that this change would result in slower traffic, but Cllr Kirby-Green argued a similar result could be achieved by ‘roundels’, which are a form of road marking.
Similar arguments were made by Bob Franklin, a Burwash parish councillor who spoke on behalf of the lead petitioner.
Cllr Kirby-Green said: “We do accept — the parish council and residents — that we can’t have signs only. But the parish council are prepared to fund this … so we are not actually East Sussex necessarily to contribute. We are just asking if we can have a sensible scheme.
She added: “There must be some reasonable compromise about how you can reduce [the speed of] that stretch of road and there are other ways to do it.”
But officers disputed this argument, saying the measures proposed were considered necessary to ensure a safe and effective scheme.
James Harris, the council’s assistant director for economy, pointed how other factors may have also played a part in the increased costs of the scheme.
He said: “Officers will always want to keep the cost of schemes down to the absolute minimum, because the more we can reduce the cost, the more schemes we are able to deliver.
“But it would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that in recent years the inflation in the construction industry has just gone through the roof, almost to the point where there are 50 per cent increases in terms of tender costs.”
Ultimately, Cllr Dowling turned down the petitioner’s request, pointing out that it called for a ‘sign only scheme’ rather than the compromise of the community match project requested by the speakers. She did, however, request officers to provide some further information outside of the meeting.
