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The roads commented on in this report:

• Wellgreen Lane
• Ashcombe Lane
• Ashcombe Hollow
• Newhaven Road (C7) near the junction with Wellgreen Lane
• Access to and from Ashcombe Roundabout

The area map:	The roadways:

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• Increasing volumes of traffic through the village
• Speed of that traffic
• Increasing intolerance of drivers to other road users and to the village environment
• Creeping road widening when resurfacing

In 2001 a consultant was commissioned to produce a report and recommendations for traffic calming measures particularly to ensure a 20 mph limit past the school. His report and recommendations depended largely on physical measures such as speed cushions and chicanes. As evidenced by subsequent village meetings and a questionnaire sent to all villagers, although the idea of traffic calming and speed management was overwhelmingly endorsed, his plans were not.

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1. Review

   a. current and past actions of the KPC,

   b. information, support and policy of the County Council, Police and Government,

   c. information (if available) of any statistical data and financial support.

    

2. Suggest a

   a. way forward,

   b. policy for the KPC to adopt.

    

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1. review

   a. KPC information and previous actions taken,

   b. ESCC information and policy,

   c. government Information and policy,

   d. police information and available support

   e. actions taken by other councils,

   f. potential effects of the works on the A27,

   g. developments in Newhaven;

    

2. hold KPC Traffic Calming Working Party meetings,
3. attend the ESCCSpeed Managementconference in March 2005,
4. report back to the KPC (this report).

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  (a)  KPC
  (b)  ESCC
  (c)  Police
  (d)  Government
  (e)  Speed Management Conference (2.3.2005)
  (f)  Other Councils
  (g)  A27 Traffic
  (h)  Developments in the Newhaven Area
  (i)  Working Party Meetings

(a) KPC

The historical situation with respect to the Traffic Survey and Consultants' report and plans are commented on in the Background section (above). KPC have, in the past, sought deal with the traffic situation by:

• engaging consultants to propose physical measures for traffic calming,
• carrying out a survey of village opinion with a pre-defined questionnaire (against a background of information of physical measures),
• holding ad hoc meetings with the relevant authorities,
• making ad hoc comments to the relevant authorities,
• attending formal and informal meetings with other parish councils (POLO) etc,
• attending formal and informal meetings with the relevant authorities.

The current situation is that the KPC have agreed to purchase a portable Speed Indicator Display (SID). This device looks like this:

The KPC propose to use this on the main through village route. The device must be operated by a number of trained volunteers. The cost is around £1500 and free training is available. The recommended number of volunteers is about 10. Currently the KPC have 5 volunteers. A Councillor, Barrie Lambert, has agreed to be the KPC member of the team.

 

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(b) ESCC

The ESCC have been attempting to tackle the problem for a number of years. Some £350,000 (See Your County Spring 2005) is currently being spent in the ESCC area on traffic calming measures. The ESCC have implemented or are implementing a variety measures in different places in the county, viz:

 

Physical Measures - including pinch points (Road Narrowing) and speed humps. Also awareness signs have been introduced in varying degrees on the entry to villages across the county. Other road signs have been made such as 30MPH road markings. Here are examples of Speed Humps and Road Narrowing Schemes:

Pinch Point

 

Road Humps

Awareness signs may have had an effect - it is difficult to say without further research. However, pinch points and speed humps have had the effect of reducing traffic volumes and speed in places like Ditchling and Maresfield.

 

Speed Limits - 30, 40 and 50 mph limits have been installed at various places across the county. The ESCC has agreed to introduce extended 30 mph speed limits in Wellgreen Lane, Kingston. In Ashcombe Lane there may be other changes to the speed limits.

 

SID - these seem to be the main option offered by the ESCC to local village communities.

 

Vehicle-Activated Signs (VAS) - These have been installed by the ESCC. They cost between £4000 and £6000 each.

This is a picture of the VAS at Maresfield.

The ESCC do not have a clear county wide policy, apart from speed limits and promotion of SIDs. The main public initiatives are:

• Slow Down Give Space
• Make the Commitment - Kill your speed

These are not widely known by motorists, probably for lack of publicity, though more than 12000 drivers have signed up to keep to the scheme. Other measures seem only to be implemented on a village by village basis.

 

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(c) Police

The Sussex Police work with the ESCC and local communities on agreed local initiatives like the Ringmer one. Their main programme is Community Speed Watch (see the KPC web site for the presentation by Mark Dunn of Sussex Police). If the KPC wish to initiate a programme it will be necessary to gain support from:

• Mark Dunn, Sussex Police
• East Sussex County Council
• Neighbourhood Policing Team

 

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(d) Government

The main source of advice from the government is The Department for Transport's leaflet TRAFFIC ADVISORY LEAFLET - 2/05 listing the main items of published advice from the Department and TRL Limited, and a selection from other sources.

 

The government has also issued guidelines regarding Quiet Lanes projects in the countryside. See the web site at: http://www.quiet-lanes.gov.uk/site/pace/default.htmIt is very unlikly that Kingston would be covered by these guidelines. However the web site provides information on some recommendations which in any event may be helpful.

 

All in all there isn't much to help a village such as Kingston in the national government arena.

 

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(e) Speed Management Conference (2.3.2005)

This conference (organised by the ESCC) was very helpful for giving information on the current actions by the ESCC and the police. The following presentations were given:

1. Colin Clarke : General information on speed management, who does what, examples pictures of speed management and traffic calming techniques.
2. VAS - Peter Bane - Norfolk : Provides details on the success of rolling out the fixed speed indicator (VAS) in a wide area across Norfolk.
3. Village Speed Limits - Paul Smart : This presentation provides an overview of Speed Management and cost of a typical speed management scheme.
4. Community Speed Watch presentation - Mark Dunn : Police supported schemes (like Ringmer).
5. Uckfield Slow Down Belt Up with SID ESCC Presentation 2005 : Programme of Initiatives including non road scheme like Young Driver Education. Info on Driver Commitment leaflets and SID schemes.

All of these presentations are on the KPC web site at:

http://www.kingston-lewes-pc.gov.uk/admin/

A password is needed for this part of the site. Please contact the author if you need access.

The things that stand out from this conference (in the opinion of the author) are:

1. The Norfolk CC presentation on the installation of VAS signs provided clear evidence that speed of vehicles did reduce by a significant margin over the months and years following their installation. The have installed a considerable number of VAS devices over hundreds of locations in the whole county. However, other measures were also used. It is understood that good results have not always been experienced elsewhere.
2. The ESCC were unclear about their policy and the amount of funds available.

 

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(f) Other Councils

One can report on the many initiatives in East Sussex and wider afield and perhaps more detailed information is needed on schemes at Ringmer, Ditchling, Maresfield, Ninfield etc.

 

Councillor Barrie Lambert has identified a successful scheme at West Hoathly (West Sussex)

http://westhoathly.gov.uk/traffic.html

Here the SID scheme has been great success. They have 24 volunteers involved and over 100 letters have already been sent out to speeding drivers by the police. Currently, they are now waiting to hear about the second part of their project to bring speeds down, interactive signs (VAS devices). The sites have been earmarked and they await news from West Sussex County Council about when and how they can be installed.

 

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(g) A27 Traffic

There are 2 projects which may affect traffic through the village:

1. Roundabout works on the A27 - the works on the A27 may or may not have an effect on village traffic. We will have to wait and see after the completion in 2005.
2. A27 - Beddingham Crossing - looking forward to the time when the crossing is finished, - there may be a possibility of traffic to Denton and Seaford taking the main road route and not coming through Kingston.

 

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(h) Developments in the Newhaven Area

Whilst HGV traffic is banned from the through village route any residential and economic development will result in additional traffic through the village.

 

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(i) Working Party Meetings

The recent Working Party meetings have not been very well attended. It is anticipated that a small Working Party (Councillors Ient, Jeffery, Lambert, Rowlands and Strong) should be formed. Two or three non-councillors could be co-opted as and when appropriate.

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1. KPC Working Party Report (this report) - further input to this report is needed from:
   • ESCC
   • Police
   • District and County Councillors
   This will help fill the gaps in the current report.

   Also further input to this report is needed about the background to the KPC actions relating to the engagement of the consultants and the surveys. This can be done by consultation with councillors and the clerk.

2. Further Investigation - Following the above more investigation is needed in order to ascertain views and information from ESCC, Police, County and MP. Also more background information is needed on statistics and funding.

3. A KPC Policy - is needed to guide further work as implementation may take a number of years. A policy can be reviewed and up-dated. It can also help differentiate the reason for doing something from the actual programmes of work. It helps address the question - why are we doing this?

4. Other Observations:
   • Visual Systems - VAS signs are proven to be effective. There are moderately expensive. It may be possible to get ESCC financial support for these. SIDs are also effective but it depends on volunteers. KPC is proceeding with the use of a SID.
   • Individual Initiatives - The implementations of individual measures are unlikely to prove successful on their own. All the evidence suggests that successful traffic calming schemes are part of a policy for the area in question.
   • Physical Measures - these have the most effect - Speed Humps and Road Narrowing. These are very expensive and would need 100% the support of the ESCC. Only they could afford to implement such measures. These schemes would need to be supported by traffic modelling in order to assess the effect of traffic congestion. Also support by residents along the route would be required.
   • Physical State of Roads, Verges, Paths and Signs - The KPC should encourage the ESCC Roads Dept to carry out the necessary improvements.

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Accordingly, and initially, it is recommended that:

1. The membership of the Working Party to be limited to include Councillors Ient, Jeffery, Lambert, Rowlands and Strong.
2. Two or three non councillors to be co-opted to the Working Party as and when necessary.
3. A traffic Strategy meeting should be held with the ESCC and the Police and a meaningful Agenda should be prepared accordingly.
4. The KPC should meet with the Area Office of the ESCC Roads Dept to discuss actions required regarding the physical state of roads, verges, paths and road signs.
5. The use of the SID by the KPC be monitored so as to assist in implementing other policy measures.

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