Traffic, and the speed of, through our parish is very well known to the parish council members as we live and use the same pavements and roads as you all. This is why we commissioned a traffic flow survey from West Sussex County Council in March. The results are frightening when you compare them to the 2021 post Broadbridge Heath development survey.
All these figures have been put to WSCC highways with a view to supporting a Transport Regulation Order to seek to reduce the number of vehicles using our parish as a short cut thanks to modern technology that directs vehicles down residential roads instead of main A roads.
Having found schemes implemented by a previous member of the council costing the parish to have drawn up, only to be turned down by WSCC highways. Raising hopes amongst residents. As well as traffic schemes implemented that have simply moved the traffic over other areas of the parish or now deemed to have speeded the traffic up from the A24 onto Bell Road.
With this in mind the council approached WSCC highways senior management to ask about the feasibility of such a TRO. The answer was that all roads must take a fair share of the traffic, as such a TRO would not be approved. They did not recognise the signage as provided as an example by the resident proposer of the scheme as applicable to such a TRO.
The council had already met with Sussex Police and obtained their support for the scheme.
The council then unofficially asked the WSCC cabinet member for assistance only to receive the same response. On pushing WSCC highways they consulted their legal department who were of the same view, a TRO of this nature will not be approved.
Our WSCC councillor being informed and party to the parish council’s process of seeking the thumbs up for such a scheme has now requested additional details to those obtained by the council under freedom of information act. At every step of the council’s action to assist in taking this TRO forward the initiated has been informed as the council saw the scheme as a potential major win for all that live in the parish.
The original roads to be included in the TRO were 12 (name them) all of which attended the council led meeting to instigate a leaflet, survey, and progress this TRO further. The council has now voted to support all 12 roads to be included in the TRO going forward.
Victory for common sense
Working with Kingsfold Residents Association the parish council supported their safety concerns about the proposed new entry and exist point for The Owl public house directly on to the A24.
The parish council’s traffic flow survey showed the significant increase in traffic on the road and the speed (as well as Marches Road), but this was not accepted by WSCC highways as being an issue. The council then funded KRA to conduct a specific traffic survey outside the public house. This showed again the speed and the vast volume of cars on this A road. This was also put to WSCC highways with the help of WSCC councillor. The Horsham District Council planning meeting, once again Kingsfold residents spoke and prior to this Warnahm parish council chair met with the planning officer at The Owl. With the excellent help of our HDC councillors and other councillors working together we achieved that common sense prevailed and the new access was turned down.