Road Safety Problems – Birdham Road
The following is the text of a letter sent to Mr. Steve Johnson, Local Highways Manager, West Sussex County Council on 4th April. This followed a number of serious accidents and representations from local people about excess traffic speeds.
Dear Mr Johnson
Donnington Parish Council wishes to express its' grave concern over the worsening traffic conditions on the A286 Birdham Road particularly that stretch between Dell Quay junction and Crouchers Bottom i.e. the area in which the recent tragic accident happened which follows on from last summers' fatal accident some 300 yards further south.
We have recently had direct representation by local residents who feel in danger either exiting directly from their properties or via Mile End Lane onto Birdham Road. The same fears have been expressed by Mr John McAdams of Cedar Nurseries who, of course, has made his own entreaty to you with a huge petition for safety improvements signed by local road users.
We are fully aware of your concern for safe de-restricted areas in which traffic can overtake as well as the need to enforce restrictions where these exist development is permitted (there being, apparently, no highway dangers inherent in such developments according to your staff commenting on planning applications).
You will be aware that commercial interests in recent years have seen the development of Apuldram Barns and also at the Black Horse PH. Both of these facilities generate considerable traffic onto the main road and it must be a source of accidents if drivers joining a very busy main road are liable to stall their cars when so doing and thus render themselves liable to be hit at speed by oncoming traffic.
There is also the danger of traffic leaving the Black Horse having a very restricted line of sight southwards, which, in itself, is a potential road hazard.
Before further loss of life, therefore, we do earnestly request you to urgently instigate a detailed study into what safety improvements can be made to this stretch of road. Also to allay increasing local unrest on the matter, we ask you to keep this parish and Apuldram Parish Meeting (Mr Jonathan Perry) informed of your progress.
John Ridd
Chairman
Donnington Parish Council.
Update
As a result of the Council's request for a safety study, West Sussex County Council has extended the speed limits in Birdham Road. We hope this will reduce the number of accidents but this does, of course, depend to some extent on enforcement of the new lower speed limits. To help with this the Council is trying to arrange a visit by one of the new mobile speed monitoring units.