Hailsham Campaigners Protest For Safer Road Crossing

Campaigners have held a protest in Hailsham calling for a safer crossing on a busy road.

The group gathered last Wednesday on the A271 Amberstone, near the junctions with Linnet Lane and Trefoil Road.

The protest was led by Toki Snook, whose daughter Imogen and another schoolchild were injured while crossing the road in March.

Campaigners want a safer way for children to cross, such as a zebra crossing or traffic lights.

A petition calling for a new crossing has previously gathered more than 1,000 signatures.

East Sussex County Council considered the proposal in July but said it had not met the required benchmark for funding this year.

However, council officers said they would explore alternative sources of funding, including Community Infrastructure Levy money from housing developments in Wealden.

The county council has since confirmed that position.

It says road safety schemes are assessed against its local transport plan, with funding focused on the highest-priority projects.

The council says the Amberstone crossing did not score highly enough to receive funding from its capital budget.

Officers are now looking at alternative external funding, including Community Infrastructure Levy money.

Campaigners have also raised concerns about how the potential crossing has been assessed.

They say the council has not carried out a traffic speed survey, which they believe could strengthen the case for improvements.

The protest also aimed to show community support for funding such a survey, with the issue expected to be considered by Hailsham Town Council.