A report by Vic Ient
9th April 2024
As some in Lewes may know, I have been corresponding with East Sussex County Council (ESCC) about my concerns for safety along the Kingston Road and at the Swan Inn junction, Lewes. I have also been in touch with the Lewes Town Council to gain their support as, so far, ESCC are finding all sorts of excuses to do nothing. ESCC are not willing to change their stance until there is a death or serious injury. Also, despite my appeal, I fear the Lewes Town Council, will not take a lead on this issue and put together a funding plan in the near future. It all adds up to delay, delay, delay!
It would be helpful if others take up the issue in order to show there is public support for action.
Here is my detailed report:
The ESCC stance seems to be that no further action can be taken as there have been no serious accidents or fatalities. That should not be the only criteria for improving road safety. Children and parents find crossing the road very difficult at the Swan Inn corner with motorised vehicles taking priority from all three directions. Vehicles mostly give no regard to pedestrians and children crossing the road in order to get to school or walk into Lewes. Also, cyclists are in danger when they traverse this junction by the Swan and through the bends coming in from the Kingston Road.
Priorities should change so that pedestrians and children can cross the road safely at the Swan Inn. I believe that a zebra crossing is needed near this junction. A lot of motorised traffic approaches the bendy road, with its poor sight-lines, at too great a speed as the C7 nears the bends by Laundry Cottages.
Recently there have been a number of accidents, including serious injury to a cyclist, an overturned vehicle and an accident where the 20 mph signs are, which exemplify the need for improvement of road safety in this area.
Since ESCC are not willing to undertake even an investigation into the possibility of traffic calming, I have asked Lewes Town Council to consider drawing up a traffic-calming project. The diagram below illustrates my draft proposals.
The ‘rumble strip’ is completely ignored by motorists where the 20 mph signs are positioned currently. I also believe that the 20 mph signs are in the wrong place as many motorists arrive at the bendy corner too fast, travelling at least 40 mph (which is the speed limit within 50 metres of Laundry Cottages). There is no time for a driver to slow down to 20 mph. Indeed, in the narrow section, speeds of less than 20 mph are required to safely negotiate the road to allow safe passage for cyclists and oncoming traffic.
The image above shows an accident near the Swan Inn on 19th March 2024
As you will see from the diagram attached, a comprehensive scheme of traffic calming is required, including:
- 30 mph speed limit south of the entrance to Cranedown so that traffic is warned to slow down because of the ingress and egress of traffic and pedestrians both from Cranedown and from the Stanley Turner recreation ground. Additionally, there is a case for extending the 30 mph speed limit to Spring Barn Farm as this section of the Kingston Road has many driveways leading onto the road, causing great difficulties for those trying to enter or exit the housing.
- Move the 20 mph speed limit signs to the crest of the bridge over the A 27 where there are good sight lines. Motorists travelling up the C7/Kingston Road towards Lewes can see the signs and start slowing down, before arriving at the narrowing and bending roads.
- Implement a traffic calming system similar to that which is in place throughout Kingston village with speed humps and traffic-calming islands.
- A pedestrian zebra crossing at the Swan Inn set a short way down Bell Lane.
Since ESCC are, as yet, unwilling to consider the matter further, I have asked the Lewes Town Council to set up a project which may attract ‘match funding’ (from ESCC) and/or CIL funding for a traffic calming system. I put this to the Lewes Town Council at their full council meeting on Thursday 21th March 2024. Following this I was invited to attend the Town Council’s ‘Integrated Movement Strategy’ meeting on the 2nd April 2024. I presented my proposals again at this meeting. After this meeting, I was asked to assist the Town Council with:
- Making an application to the South Downs National Park’s Community Infrastructure Levy fund.
- Compiling a Feasability Study
- Obtain information from ESCC about Traffic Calming costs
This request for help was then withdrawn. I am not sure how the Town Council will now proceed. It may be that the Town Council embodies my proposals, partially or wholly, in their ongoing ‘Integrated Movement Strategy’. Rolling these safety proposals into a long term plan will only delay the implementation of a straight forward safety scheme at the Swan corner.
There are also some suggestions that the traffic calming at the Swan corner be included in the ‘Safer C7’ project. That project has a much wider scope, encompassing the whole of the C7. This being the case, it may mean to say that any traffic calming at the Swan Inn/Kingston Road gets delayed further.
In summary, I believe an initial proposal with outline costs could be produced within a couple of months or so. If backed by the Town Council, it could be put to ESCC as a ‘Match Funding‘ application. It could also be put to the South Downs National Park for CIL funding. Once this is done, and once we have responses from both organisations, further progress could be made.
If safety proposals in this area are encompassed in other wider projects, it may mean that improvements in this area are delayed. I fully support the work which the Town Council are doing with their strategy and the Safer C7 group with their project. I do not believe that we should delay the possibility of implementing a very straightforward traffic calming system for the Swan/Kingston Road.
Vic Ient 