Agenda Item 7 Appendix A

Turners Hill B2110 (East Street) – Proposed 40mph Speed Limit OBJECTION

Objection/Comments Comments from Director of Communities and Infrastructure 1 Resident of Forest Row, East

Questions the impartiality of the Whatever may have been consultation as the reported in the press there Courier and Observer have quoted is a statutory procedure in members of WSCC stating the speed place which is being limit will change. followed, and ultimately the North Mid Sussex County Local Committee will decide whether or not to proceed. Where objections are received, as in this case, that decision is taken openly in public.

Is a regular user of the road during There have been several peak hours and at other times of injury-accidents reported day, and although knows accidents through the Police. Please occur, hasn’t observed any. see Section 2 ‘Discussion’.

Considers this stretch of road is the Vehicles will not be straightest most open part of road restricted from overtaking between the town and village and and the average speeds offers the safest place to overtake recorded along this length the slow moving farm traffic using of road are already near to the road. Believes that lowering the 40mph so there is a speed limit will create a speed limit reasonable chance that motorists will not respect, in the most drivers will see a limit same way as the 30mph speed signed at this level as limits imposed on the A22 between reasonable. East Grinstead and and the A264 between Felbridge and Doves Barn Nursery.

Believes lowering the speed limit will This is considered unlikely make the road more dangerous as given that the present motorists will not be so cautious as average speeds are near they will not expect vehicles to be 40mph already. travelling at high speed in a low speed area.

Has sympathy for the residents of Circumstances can change Turners Hill Park who have to pull and given the average out onto the road but the speed limit speeds are near 40mph on the road has been in existence such a limit does not seem longer than they have lived there unreasonable. It is true and believes potential householders however that speed limits should consider the area when are not a panacea and choosing their residences. Also vehicles entering and questions the suitability of this exiting the Turners Hill Park location for a large scale residence Estate will still need to for older members of the public on exercise due care. such an important thoroughfare.

Notes that the entrance to Turners This is a fair point, although Hill Park already has a bus stop and hedges on private land are turning position. not the direct responsibility Suggests if the visibility is of the County Council. inadequate for residents they However, where they consider pruning their hedges overhang the highway we can approach individuals to ask them to take appropriate action to trim them back and we will investigate further in this case. In the meantime including the estate entrance within a lower speed limit may help.

Sussex Police regularly use this road have been as their training routes for car and formally consulted on the motorcycle instruction and therefore proposed 40mph speed limit consider it to be safe enough to and do not object. allow students to drive at high speed without fear of accident or injury.

Questions that local residents’ Perceptions of speed can be perception of vehicular speed are mistaken which is why likely to be far in excess if actual accurate data is always speed. necessary when considering such matters. In this case average speeds were checked and found to be 39.9mph which indicates that a 40mph speed limit is not unreasonable.