Calls to improve safety of Eastbourne pedestrian crossings

On Monday (March 14), Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, is set to consider a petition calling for a zebra crossing in Church Street to be upgraded to a traffic light-controlled pelican crossing.

The petition, signed by 169 people and submitted to the council by Liberal Democrat John Ungar, also calls for a pedestrian phase to be added at a set of traffic lights at the junction of Summerdown Road, Church Street, Victoria Drive and East Dean Road.

The petition reads: “The county council has acknowledged that both these crossings meet the criteria to be upgraded but has not agreed to fund these upgrades. 

“Both these crossings are used by children on their way to and from school and the roads are very busy.”

While an ultimate decision will lie with Cllr Dowling, officers are advising that neither scheme would be a priority for council funding at this time. 

This, officers say, is because the council has limited resources available for roadworks each each year. As part of this, the council looks at all of the proposals it receives across the county and creates a ranked list of what schemes to take forward.

Officers say the petitioners’ proposals had both been requested previously and have undergone detailed appraisal. 

According to council papers, the Church Street crossing scheme ranked 22 out of 71 prioritised requests when last reviewed  in March 2021, while the traffic light proposal had ranked at 37th.

As a result, neither scheme was put forward for possible inclusion into the capital programme for local transport improvements for 2021/22. Officers say this is likely to be the case in the coming year as well. 

SEE ALSO: Hastings bar shuts just 4 months after opening

In a report to be considered by Cllr Dowling, a council officer said: “Whilst both have been identified as schemes for potential inclusion in the capital programme for local transport improvements their ranking relative to other schemes within the prioritised list means they have not been considered for inclusion in the 2022/23 programme.

HAVE YOU READ: IKEA has left council ‘in limbo’ over Lancing site

“Both requests will continue to be retained on record for possible inclusion in a future year’s programme. 

“Therefore, it is recommended that the lead member for transport and environment advises the petitioners that the two scheme requests are not presently high priorities for the allocation of county council funding in the 2022/23 capital programme for local transport improvements.”

For the latest breaking news where you live in Sussex, follow us on Twitter @Sussex_World and like us on Facebook @SussexWorldUK