Safety of Castle Lane between Bramber Roundabout and Roman Road under question
A few local residents have expressed concerns about the safety of the Bramber roundabout to Roman Road section of Castle Lane.
This section of Castle Lane is very narrow with bends and few passing places. The current building works along the Lane have not helped, making the route even narrower in places, although these works should be completed soon.
There have been calls to make the Lane one way, or for better passing places to be provided with safer refuges for pedestrians using the Lane for access to properties. People walking or cycling between the roundabout and Roman Road are able to use the Castle Lane bypass pathway, provided a few years ago to be a safe alternative to the dangerous narrow section of Castle Lane.
When residents of the area were surveyed many years ago on possibly making the route one way there were very many objections. Has this view changed? Comments please to Derek Deedman via this website.
2 Comments
have your say
The debate about safety in Castle Lane, Bramber between the castle RAB and Roman Rd rumbles on. I live in Wyckham Lane and if Castle Lane was to be ‘one way’ I would have to detour via Steyning High St (or Goring Road with it’s dangerous exit onto King’s Barn Lane) thus adding to the traffic conjestion and ‘danger’ in Church St, Steyning; adding to my fuel costs and further polluting the environment.
Pedestrians and ‘cyclists have an alternative route, provided by the tax-payer, if they wish to avoid vehicles in the narrow part of Castle Lane.
It is my experience that one-way streets cause drivers to go faster thus increasing the danger.
I have driven over this part of Castle Lane daily for 25 years. Whilst sometimes I have been inconvenienced by other vehicles I have never felt in any danger nor have I seen pedestrians ‘threatened’ by vehicles.
There are already in place advisory signs for HGV’s and sufficient passing places for cars and light vans. I see no need to further ’suburbanise’ this road.
Last Friday, May 2, at about 09:00 a Viridor liquid waste lorry tried to negotiate Castle Lane from the Bramber Roundabout to Roman Road and then presumably on to the Sewage Works (registration details are available.) This caused major disruption in that several vehicles had to back up the Lane to let the lorry through. This was both difficult, dangerous and time-consuming as new vehicles were entering both ends of the Lane whilst all this difficult manoeving took place!
It is apparent that simply marking Castle Lane as unsuitable for HGVs is insufficient. Access should be strictly limited to cars and small vans. The various lay-bys would then be quite adequate to ensure that most vehicles can pass safely and relatively easily. Improvements to the very limited street lighting would also be of considerable value - especially to pedestrians.