Plans to lower the speed limit between Eastbourne and Pevensey Bay are set for consideration by county councillors this week.

On Wednesday (October 15), East Sussex County Council's planning committee is due to decide whether to approve a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which would reduce the speed limit of a section of the A259 to 40mph.

The TRO would cover a 1.25km stretch of road, from the east of the Martello Roundabout to the entrance to Pevensey Bay, all of which is currently covered by a 50mph speed limit.

The proposal comes as part of the council's Speed Management Programme, an initiative which has seen the authority review speed limits of the county's A and B-class road network to assess whether existing speed limits are appropriate.

In a report to the committee, officers say the stretch of road is considered to be a priority for this programme, noting how there have been four killed or serious injury (KSI) crashes and six slight personal injury crashes reported to the police on this part of the A259 during a three-year assessment period.

Officers go on to say the proposals received a significant amount of support during a public consultation period.

In all, the consultation generated 21 representations, 18 of which were purely supportive. Of the remaining three representors, only one objected to the speed limit being lowered due to concerns around increased congestion.

The two other representors had both indicated the speed limit should be lowered further to 30mph, with one saying the council should also consider installing a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing.

Officers say these objections are not considered to be sufficient grounds for dismissing the TRO.

Their report reads: "If a 30mph speed limit was introduced on this part of the road, it would not be effective as it would be set too low for the road environment. If a 30mph speed limit was introduced drivers would continue to travel at higher speeds resulting in a poorly complied with speed limit.

"There is no evidence that a 40mph speed limit would cause additional congestion."

Officers also noted how additional measures -- such as traffic lights, a pedestrian crossing or vehicle activated signs -- would be outside the scope of the speed management programme. They said the costs of any such measure would be "significantly higher than the traffic signs and road markings required to introduce the potential 40mph speed limit."

Speed limit on A259 could be lowered if plans approved