Surrey County Council received two petitions, one requesting traffic calming measures on Epsom Road, Guildford and the other requesting anti-skid surfacing on Succombs Hill, Warlingham. A decision on the Epsom Road petition will be made in September 2024. The council decided not to take any action in response to the Succombs Hill petition, but will assess the road and make a further decision later in 2024.

Petition for pedestrian safety and traffic calming on Epsom Road, Guildford

A thousand people signed a petition requesting a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Upper and Lower Edgbury Road and a 20 mile per hour speed limit on Epsom Road, Guildford. The petition, which was presented by local resident Sam, was prompted by concerns about the speed of traffic on Epsom Road and a recent accident in which a 13 year old girl sustained a fractured skull.

Councillor Fiona Davidson, who represents Guildford's Castle Ward on Surrey County Council, has nominated a scheme addressing speeding and road safety on Epsom Road to Surrey County Council's Integrated Transport Scheme.

It doesn't say that it has to be a Zebra crossing. It finds a solution to the problem of traffic speeds and being able to safely cross the road. So, one of the options is a Zebra crossing, but of course, we have to take into account all of the various factors for considering the prioritisation for all the requests that all the county councillors put forward within a borough or district, because there are safety concerns, as you are probably aware, across many communities.

Zeena Curry, Highways Engagement and Commissioning Manager at Surrey County Council, told the meeting that a technical assessment of the scheme will be complete within two weeks. This assessment will consider a range of factors that are part of Surrey County Council's Local Transport Plan 4, including congestion, accessibility, and the local economy. The assessment will then be independently scored by Surrey County Council engineers, who will meet at the end of August 2024. A decision will then be made by Councillor Matt Furness, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, in mid to late September 2024.

Sam urged the council to consider the financial implications of inaction on road safety, and pointed to Surrey County Council's policy on the criteria for safety cameras.

Councillor Furness said that the petition is being taken seriously and pointed to Surrey County Council's partnership with Surrey Police, National Highways, and the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service on their Vision Zero strategy which aims to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries on Surrey's roads.

Petition for anti-skid surfacing for Succombs Hill, Warlingham.

Edward Ralph, a local resident and parish councillor, presented a petition requesting anti-skid surfacing on Succombs Hill, Warlingham. Councillor Ralph argued that a 25% gradient on a bend at the top of the hill causes stationary vehicles to lose grip, particularly in wet conditions. Councillor Ralph, who has lived in Warlingham since 2002, said he had witnessed three vehicles leave the road on this bend in the last 12 months.

Responding to the petition, Amanda Richards, Assistant Director of Highways at Surrey County Council, said that analysis of accident data for Succombs Hill did not support the need for anti-skid surfacing.

It's not that we don't want to do some skid resistance material there, but it's that we're not sure that that would actually alleviate the problems that you've highlighted.

Ms Richards said that Surrey County Council would conduct an assessment of the road over the summer and would aim to report back in September 2024. Councillor Furness asked for the assessment to include a review of existing signage on Succombs Hill.