Gunters Lane a priority case for speed-calming says county

County officers found themselves besieged by worried residents when they staged a consultation exhibition in the High School's Gunters Lane building last Thursday and Friday.

The exhibition showed proposals for dealing with excessive speed in the wider part of Gunters Lane and, controversially, suggested one-way working controlled by traffic lights as a solution to the problem posed by the narrow, winding lower section which is between high embankments.

Current thinking is that the High School's current Gunters Lane complex '“ built as the first phase of a two-phase development to transfer the High from the old Down Road campus '“ could be converted into a new primary school.

This would bring the combined school population at Gunters Lane to more than 2,000 pupils and staff.

Last week, neighbours from Glenleigh Park told the Observer of their concern that that proposals which were the subject of last Friday's exhibition would produce traffic congestion which would make them virtual prisoners in their own home.

Their principal concerns were the one-way proposal and the impact of the High School development.

Group spokesman John Hollands and colleagues were among the first people queuing at the High School to get a look at the proposals on exhibition and to press their case with county officials.

The county says:

"Every year the county council receives numerous requests for traffic calming.

"Regrettably, the number of requests received far exceeds the resources available to construct such schemes therefore a priority assessment procedure has been developed, so that sites most in need of treatment are tackled first.

"Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads is a top priority for the county council.

"Requests will only be considered if the injury crash record over the last three years exceeds a certain level.

"Sites that qualify are then assessed using factors such as the crash record, traffic flows, vehicle speeds, pedestrian and cycling activity, proximity to schools and the level of development.

"From this we produce a priority list so that we can look at the highest priority sites first.

"Gunters Lane, Bexhill, was identified as a priority site using this procedure and fund s are available to introduce a scheme this financial year.

"An initial study has been undertaken and proposals have now been drawn up to address the problems and issues that have been identified."

The county says the main aims of the scheme are to slow vehicle speeds and provide improvements for pedestrians.

The scheme includes:

*Provision of three pedestrian refuge islands located between the new development at Hornbeam Avenue opposite the High School and Glenleigh Park Road as speed-reducing features and to give pedestrians further opportunities to cross the road safely

*A "priority working feature" incorporating road-narrowing near Glenleigh Park Road where northbound traffic would have priority over southbound traffic

*Improvements to the footways and bus stop

*Parking restriction adjacent to the priority working feature and traffic islands '“

dependent on the outcome of public consultation

*Alternate one-way flow in the narrow, winding section of the lane between Deans Drive and Beatrice Walk, controlled by traffic lights and with edge-markings to further reduce the carriageway width

*A study to see if extra street lights are required

Visitors to the exhibition were given questionnaires to fill in and told: "This is your opportunity to comment on the proposals."

Full story in Friday's Observer.