Villages unite in C7 safety campaign

SIX parish councils have banded together to press East Sussex County Council to take radical action to find a solution to the danger road that runs through their villages.

The councils, Kingston, Iford, Southease, Rodmell, Piddinghoe and South Heighton, have formed POLO - Parishes of the Lower Ouse - which has as its main platform a campaign to make the narrow C7 Lewes to Newhaven road safer.

The road is a notorious blackspot.

Only three weeks ago a Rodmell resident died after being in collision with a motorcycle at Southease.

There is no roadside footpath north of Piddinghoe to the outskirts of Lewes, a distance of about six miles.

'Pedestrians take their life in their hands over the whole distance,' said Dr Michael Draisey, chairman of Piddinghoe Parish Council, who is a member of POLO.

'We have written letters to the highway authority asking for action and we shall write another one after the death of this lady.'

As well as a footpath, POLO wants a 50 mph speed limit on the narrow winding road which is mostly 60 mph at the moment.

And it would like to see improvements to the A27 at Lewes to tempt drivers back on to the A26 route to Newhaven. At the moment many drivers use the C7 as a rat-run alternative to the A26.

District council member for the area Cllr Anna Appleton said: 'These improvements are desperately needed. Local people are very worried at the current situation.

'I have personally been trying to get something done for the last four years.

'We need that path before someone else gets killed or seriously hurt.'

Rodmell resident Pauline Cherry said: 'Please think of us, the people who live in these lovely villages and who have to dice with death every time we stick our noses out at a junction.'

A county council spokesperson said: 'We will investigate the possibility of a 50 mph speed limit on the C7 but we are inundated with requests and the C7 would not be a high priority.

'Villages around the C7 do have speed limits and there are a lot of large road signs, for example, no overtaking, as a warning to traffic. Traffic in general is encouraged to use the trunk roads.

'With regards to a pavement, it is council policy not to provide any new footpaths. The budget was cut and the council struggles to maintain what footpaths it does have.

'However, we tried to be helpful last year by putting in some kerbing backed by some hard core on part of the C7 to make an area to walk on. It may be possible to extend this but there is no specific fund.'