Road safety proposal and petition sent to West Sussex County Council

The paperwork presented included a petition launched barely a week before – which has now been signed by approaching 200 residents supporting the scheme.

The proposal has three core elements:

• Reducing the current 30mph speed limit in the most densely populated part of the village – running along The Street to its dead end at the foot of the Downs, just past the school – to 20mph.
• Introducing new “buffer zones” with speed limits lower than the current national speed restriction at each approach to the village. GPC noted that these were usually implemented for similar schemes, rather than switching straight from 60mph to 20mph – and were included also in response to requests from residents living along these stretches.
• Installing signs, designed appropriately for our rural setting, at each access point to make visiting drivers aware they are entering the village where they need to take more care. Graffham is currently a rare exception locally without any such signage.

The move follows a recent spate of near misses on our roads at a time when traffic through the village is increasing, with the more development, including the recently approved Woodcote expansion, along with an increasing trend towards multiple vehicle households and more online shopping deliveries.  Meantime, cars, lorries and vans today are much larger and faster than our roads were originally envisaged to handle.

The proposals, designed to improve safety on local roads for all users – residents, school children, visitors, dog walkers and other pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders – have been developed in response to calls from residents, as part of Graffham’s Village Plan adopted at the turn of the year.

GPC Chairman Gillian Charlesworth said: “One of the issues raised most frequently by the community is improving road safety.  The proposals that were developed as a result were subject to extensive consultation – at annual meetings of the parish, at regular parish council sessions, via dedicated surveys and in frequent articles in Graffham Parish News and Facebook’s Graffham Noticeboard.

“During this lengthy process, 40 residents made representations supporting the measures that emerged while just five objected.  Ahead of finally seeking approval from the county council, we noted that it looks for strong community backing when considering this kind of scheme – hence the petition launched late last month.  In little more than a week, and at peak holiday time when so many people are away, this has to date been signed by nearly 200 people, from 110 properties in the village.”

Graffham parish has just more than 400 adults on its electoral roll, living in some 200 households.

The proposal also has the backing of the village’s WSCC councillor Tom Richardson, its Chichester District councillor John Cross and local MP Andrew Griffith.

Gillian added: “This represents the biggest show of opinion by our community on any single issue in recent years.  It represents a firm validation of proposals developed after such extensive consultation.  Thanks to all who have given their support.

“Inevitably with a change like this, there are some detractors.  Some of them are from within our community – but, judging from comments posted on social media, those objecting most loudly do not live in Graffham.  What is clear, nonetheless, is that there is extensive support across our village for action to make our roads safer.”

GPC’s application to WSCC is for a Community Highways Scheme, after the county advised the scheme put forward was more extensive than could be covered by the simpler Road Traffic Order.

While the proposal is now in WSCC’s hands, the petition will remain open for residents to sign, to be used in any future dialogue with the county council.  Gillian said: “The more residents who put their name to it, the greater the impact it could have, so please encourage any other adults in your households and your neighbours to sign it too.”

You can sign the petition online at www.ipetitions.com/p/make-graffhams-roads-safer/  or on paper at Graffham Village Shop.  Other comments on the proposals can be submitted by email to clerk@graffham-pc.gov.uk

What happens now?

West Sussex County Council assesses all applications for Community Highways Schemes once a year – and the few that are approved usually take around two years to be implemented.

The number given the go ahead each year depends on the availability of funding and resources.  Typically, WSCC delivers between 10 and 20 annually – so most will not be progressed.

Graffham Parish Council filed its submission just ahead of WSCC’s annual deadline.  The county’s highways team reviews schemes initially for feasibility and measures them against a set of standard criteria.  Those that pass this first stage review then go through a detailed assessment and are prioritised against all other applications.

They are then moderated by a technical panel towards the end of the calendar year and the highest priority schemes recommended for technical design work in WSCC’s delivery programme for the following year.

Those that make the cut are then considered for construction in the following year, although the more complex schemes can take longer still.