A local Steyning resident has called for Church Street to be included with the Parish Council campaign for a 20 mph speed limit for the High Street.

Although they had a mixed response to the ‘Steyning News’ article, the Parish Council is pressing ahead to discuss the 20 mph proposal with the Traffic Engineers.

I certainly support a 20 mph limit throughout all residential areas where people want them, and agree there would be a very good case for Church Street to be added to the High Street scheme. I have passed the resident’s request to the Parish Clerk for the Council to consider his suggestion.

At the Steyning Parish Council meeting on Monday, 10 November it was reported that this suggestion will be considered by the Parish Highways & Lighting Committee.

The Parish Council at last night’s meeting agreed to my suggestion that the Chanctonbury County local Committee should be recommended to use some planning development contributions related to transport schemes for the possible cycle route from Small Dole to Henfield.

Although the possible route is entirely in Henfield Parish the cycle route would be of particular benefit to Small Dole residents who live in Upper Beeding Parish.

It was also good news in this regard to learn at the Countryside Access Forum for West Sussex last week that the County Council’s Corporate Plan for 2009/10 provides for an increase in the number of Rights of Way for walkers and cyclists.

I will be supporting the Parish Council’s recommendation at the next meeting of the Chanctonbury County Local Committee on 2 December in Partridge Green.

I recently had to complain yet again about some poor aspects of this year’s grass cutting of highway verges and that some verges continue to be ignored.

From colleagues on the County Council I know this is a problem throughout the County so I welcome the news that a new contract for grass cutting is being issued for next year. I understand that this will provide contractors with electronic maps of all urban grass, so hopefully this will ensure that no areas are missed in future.

We will still have to on our guard for poor standards and to report them to the County Council whenever they occur! I will post the work schedule for grass cutting as soon as I am informed.

I have recently referred an example of poor grass cutting of a verge in Upper Beeding and the continued lack of grass cutting of a verge in Steyning, to the County Council’s Grass Cutting Contract Manager.

I am awaiting his response on the situation but in the meantime I raised the problem of general poor grass cutting standards throughout the County at the Policy & Resources Select Committee meeting yesterday at County Hall.

A report proposing improved customer service on dealing with complaints was being discussed at the time, and the officer was reporting, as an example, how a grass cutting problem in the west of the County was being resolved. I and a number of other County Councillors brought the officer’s attention to the fact that the grass cutting contract standards and conditions are not, in our view, being fully enforced.

I said that it would be better if the number of contracted cuts in a year (eleven) was reduced to say, ten, with the money saved to be used for a higher standard of enforcing contract compliance.

The path closure is necessary to protect public safety whilst improvement works are being undertaken on the bridleway.

Unfortunately this link route using the South Downs Way east of the River Adur, from St Botolph’s bridge using bridleway 3209 to the A283 will continue to be unavailable for another 21 days from the 28TH OCTOBER 2008. The footpath and bridleway along either side of the River Adur and St Botolphs bridge will remain open for pedestrians and equestrians.

Should you have any queries regarding the closure please contact Becky Lawton, Rights of way Officer  on 01273 777928 or if you have a query about the effect of the notice on persons using the highway, to Jon Perks on 01243 777621.

Drainage Improvements in the Henfield Road, Upper Beeding are due to start in the week commencing 27^th October 2008 and last for up to two weeks.

The scheme is to carry out drainage repairs to assist drainage of excess water from the carriageway and alleviate further flooding problems in the area.

During the course of the works, 2 way traffic lights will be erected on site and will remain in place until the materials have hardened. Generally, these will be erected each morning and taken down at the end of the day to allow rush hour traffic to pass through freely, though there may be occasions when they remain in place whist materials are hardening.

The Highways Agency have announced that there will be no more weekend closures of the A27 at Arundel to complete the work at the railway bridge. Although further road closures had been allowed for the work was carried out in 3 weekends. There is some finishing off work but that will not require road closures.

Great news for travellers using the A27 through Arundel, and for the people of Littlehampton which faced gridlock when the A27 was closed.

Under the title “Working together for a better future” West Sussex County Council adopted its Sustainable Community Strategy for West Sussex 2008 – 2020 at its meeting on October 10^th.

Deputy Leader Dr James Walsh said “ This paper is purely aspirational; it is all words with no promises of specific actions especially on solar heating, energy conservation, and water recycling.  We have had 20-30 years of plans and more plans.  What we need is real action”

Dr Nigel Dennis, Lib Dem spokesman for Highways and Transport, commented: “Cycle expenditure by West Sussex County Council is half the national average and the cycle network is little more than a series of short, disconnected routes, poorly used.”

He added:

“if we are to get people to cut down on car use we must have better integration of public transport services.  Bus timings must link up with trains and we need better through ticketing and more Travelcard schemes.”

We have had strategies for footpaths, cycleways and public transport - and no action. There is a particular need for these extra services in the Bramber Castle area and it is about time we saw some action on this from the County Council!

At a meeting to discuss the B2116 from Woodmancote to Albourne on 2 October, Highways staff rejected a petition from Albourne residents calling a speed limit for the length between Albourne and Woodmancote (speeds had been measured and the Accident and Investigation Branch had also been consulted). Instead proposals were made of a plan to deal specifically with the dangerous parts of the road by signs, surfaces and the cutting back of hedges etc. During the discussion it was, however, agreed that advisory speed limit signs could also be provided where appropriate.

Local Woodmancote Parish Councillor, Crispin Blazeby, had studied that part of the road with the Local Traffic Engineer the day before the meeting, and considered that from Woodmancote residents point of view the Highways staff proposals would be the correct approach.

Crispin and I also learned that resurfacing of the surface is being done outside of the plan and the section on the corner beyond Paynesfield will be done in the near future.

The part of the plan affecting Woodmancote is on the corner immediately beyond the top of Blackstone Lane and involves: -

*Installation of new chevrons of a more striking design,

*A further corner sign to the East with a speed note,

*The corner sign to the North to have a speed note,

*New surface of a red warning nature with “Slow” on it, and,

*Cutting back of woodland/hedge on the inside of the corner.

Consideration of a pathway/bridlepath on the ground was discussed sympathetically and will be looked at separately – it was recognised that equestrians were in particular danger on that corner.

The Woodmancote Parish Action Plan recommends attention to the Twineham Lane junction by “Balloos” – Crispin had looked closely at this and with the Local Traffic Engineer considered the visibility at that point to be OK.

The overall cost of the work would be £23,000 and needed to take place before the end of this financial year.  After 12 months a review would take place to judge the effect of the changes.

It was agreed that the “Woodmancote“ sign by the “Paynesfield” corner would be removed to reduce confusion.  (Postal addresses in this area of Woodmancote are of course “Albourne”).

Steyning Parish Council Highways & Lighting Committee last night agreed that the disadvantages from closing the Lane to vehicular traffic near the Chalk Pit far outweighed the possible safety improvements for pedestrians using the Lane. They could not, therefore, support any request to the County Council to close the Lane.

I had asked the Committee (which had previously expressed concern about the safety of walkers using the Lane) to consider supporting the possible closure of the Lane on behalf of local residents who felt unsafe walking on this narrow road. However other residents had pointed out to me the increased risks for even more people from the increased traffic which would result on other local roads, and at the dangerous Bostal Road/Bramber Road junction where traffic would have to gain access to the alternative Bostal Road to go over the Downs