Highway consultation on
Published: 11 January 2023
We are aware of a number of highway issues in Westbourne and would like to consult with residents on two issues relating to Whitechimney Row and the one-way section of East Street. The consultation has been prompted following concerns raised by local residents who have approached the Parish Council and attended its meeting on 8 December 2022.
Your views
We would like to hear your thoughts an opinions on the issues outlined below so that they can be used in support of applications to West Sussex County Council for traffic regulation orders (TROs) which would propose improvements to the highway in these two locations.
Other highways issues
We are aware that these are not the only highways issues in the village and we would like to hear from you about any other concerns you may have so that we can also put them forward to the County Council for possible consideration. To help with the overall traffic situation in Westbourne, we have recently applied to the County Council to restrict HGVs over 7.5 tonnes travelling through the village without stopping to deliver. If the application is successful, signs would be placed at the entrances to Westbourne to deter such vehicles using Westbourne as a short-cut. The County Council is also reviewing speed limits across West Sussex (60mph to 50mph, 40mph to 30mph and 30mph to 20mph) which would help with the speed of traffic but this may not be implemented until 2024. The Parish Council is also looking into the possibility of employing a parking enforcement officer to patrol for a short period of time on designated days and times. These measures should help the traffic situation in Westbourne in the next couple of years.
1. Whitechimney Row: Current situation
The road is increasingly gridlocked due to the volume of traffic, large lorries and recent A27 closures. Incidents of speeding have also increased, especially heading south out of Westbourne. It is hoped that the road will become 20mph from the bend at Old Farm Lane as part of the County Council's review of speed limits but this is unlikely to change until 2024. Congestion issues are caused by cars parking on the junction of Whitechimney Row and East Street. Some cars are regularly parked in the road over the white line that marks a safe pedestrian footway. Speed issues are caused by some drivers once they get past Whitechimney Row Cottages where there are worm 20mph roundels and sign markings indicating the 20mph speed limit are further south. We are aware this is a key route for young people walking and cycling to Bourne Community College.
Whitechimney Row: Proposed changes
We would like to submit at TRO to the County Council to request the following:
- Two new bollards at the Whitechimney Row/East Street junction.
- Paint new 20mph roundels and add a separate restriction table or chicane at the south entrance.
- Paint a new road surface next to the current white line, bounded by a broken white line, to show a shared footpath/roadway to provide a safer walkway for pedestrians.
- Enforcement of 'no parking' in the white line marked pedestrian area. This would be requested with the TRO but we could include this as part of any additional parking enforcement that the Parish Council contracted.
2. One-way section of East Street: Current situation
Parking on the pavement and double yellow lines has caused damage to properties, restricts passage of vehicles, limits the road width for lorries and pedestrians are forced to walk into the road due to the narrow width of the current footpath. Vehicles parked close to properties also cause a danger to residents entering or exiting their properties. There have also been incidents of people driving the wrong way down the road, despite clear 'no entry' signs and markings.
One-way section of East Street: Proposed changes
We would like to submit a TRO to the County Council to request the following:
- Repaint the double yellow lines and extend them to North Street.
- Widen the pavement to around 1.5m.
- Repair the cracked pavement.
- Install approx. eight metal Glasdon bollards on the edge of the pavement to prevent parking.
How to respond to the consultation
Please send any comments you have on the proposals by Friday 3 March 2023 by:
The Parish Council will consider the consultation responses at its Full Council meeting on Thursday 9 March at 7.15pm at The Meeting Place, North Street, Westbourne. Members of the public are welcome to attend.