Beacon Parishes Traffic Group

This group was set up to address traffic concerns and implement the traffic and transport policies in the Ditchling, Streat and Westmeston Neighbourhood Plan. Traffic is one of the most important local issues for residents of Ditchling and the surrounding villages. This was highlighted in public consultation exercises for the neighbourhood plan.

Major Concerns

Safety
Pedestrians, cyclists, horse-riders, cars and lorries all share roads built decades, if not centuries, ago

The increasing volume of traffic
There are now many more cars and lorries, and they travel faster; traffic in Ditchling is affected by the A23 and increasing residential development nearby in West Sussex.

The group includes councillors from Ditchling and Westmeston parish councils and Streat Parish Meeting, local residents, our district councillor (Tom Jones, who is also a parish councillor), our county councillor (Sarah Osborne) and our MP (Maria Caulfield). As the parishes are so close to the West Sussex border, West Sussex County Council has also been involved.

Priorities

B2112, Ditchling High Street and South Street:
Tailbacks and congestion will continue to increase as residential developments are completed to the north of Ditchling in Burgess Hill, Wivelsfield and Haywards Heath. Traffic calming measures are needed to reduce speed and to make these roads safer for horse-riders, cyclists and pedestrians.

Spatham Lane:
There have been many accidents and near misses in this well-used lane. We are asking East Sussex County Council (ESCC) for a 40mph speed limit. In the longer term, we want to see traffic calming measures to make the lane safer for horse-riders, cyclists and pedestrians.

Beacon Road:
Beacon Road is an important north-south route to and from Brighton and is much used by horse-riders and by cyclists. We need traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds and to make these roads safer for everyone.

The next step is for a consultant to prepare a feasibility study, building on previous traffic reports, particularly the Ditchling Local Area Transport Strategy (LATS) and the transport sections of our neighbourhood plan. It is hoped this work will begin in late Spring/early Summer 2021.

Funding is expected to come from a combination of parish council grants and funds held by ESCC and Lewes District Council earmarked for traffic improvements.