Calls for lower speed limit on A272 going through hamlet near Uckfield are refused

On Monday (January 16), Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, considered a petition calling for a 30mph speed limit on the A272 in Piltdown.

According to council papers, there have been four serious collisions on the road over the past three years — two of which included speed as a cause.

During the meeting, Cllr Dowling heard from lead petitioner Amanda Abraham and local councillor Roy Galley, who argued the lower speed limit would make the village a safer place for both pedestrians and other road users.

Cllr Galley said: “Piltdown is the only village in my division which does not have a 30mph limit. As far as I know, it goes much further than that and I suspect that in much of East Sussex every village has a 30mph limit.

“It seems to me that there is no logic in having just one village without such a limit.”

He added: “The cost of any change would be minimal. All you would need to do is change a few signs. I know there would be lots of legal procedures and Traffic Regulation Orders and so on, but the actual cost must be quite small.”

Officers had recommended against accepting the petitioners’ calls, however, arguing the road did not meet the criteria for a lower speed limit. This was for a variety of reasons, including the existing speed of traffic and the layout of the road.

They also disputed Cllr Galley’s assertion that signs alone would be enough to lower the speed limit of the road, arguing that drivers will often drive faster than the speed limit if road conditions do not give visual cues to do so.

This, officers said, meant more work than signs alone would be necessary to make the speed limit effective. Signs alone would be dangerous, they said, as it could make overtaking more frequent.

Both Ms Abraham and Cllr Galley raised concerns about the accuracy of the officers’ assessment, however, particularly the claim that there were fewer than 20 properties visible from the road.

This was significant because both national and local guidance says roads with 20 or more visible properties give drivers a ‘visual message’ to lower their speed, making it appropriate for 30mph limits.

Officers committed to check this figure, but said it would not affect their recommendations not to lower the speed limit as other elements of the road also made it unsuitable for a 30mph limit.

Ultimately, Cllr Dowling shared the view of officers and declined to move ahead with works to lower the road’s speed limit.

However, she also advised petitioners to approach Fletching Parish Council to gauge their interest in investigating a community funded scheme to improve pedestrian and cycling facilities in Piltdown. Improvements such as these had also been part of the petition’s goals.

Wealden MP Nus Ghani recently visited to speak to residents and parish council representatives.

She said: “I have made representations to National Highways and East Sussex County Council to request details about the safety assessment of the current speed limit and their criteria for putting in place additional traffic calming and safety measures.”