A COMMUNITY has welcomed speed limit reductions designed to improve road safety in a historic East Sussex village.

Thanks to investment from the county council’s local transport capital improvements programme the new 20mph limit is now in effect throughout Alfriston to address concerns over the speed of traffic and the dangers posed to pedestrians on the narrow streets.

The scheme also included the installation of two new ‘gateway’ signs at the start of the new 20mph limit, a high-friction surface where the speed limit changes from 30mph, and a refresh of existing yellow lines and road markings.

New double yellow lines have been painted in the village centre to stop obstructive parking and signs alerting motorists to the narrow streets have also been installed at the entrance to the village.

Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, said: “We have worked closely with Alfriston Parish Council for some time to try to address road safety concerns through the village.

“We have had to overcome some very unique challenges including the width of the roads through Alfriston and the road layout.

“Alfriston is a beautiful, historic village and I am delighted that we have been able to take positive action for the community.”

During the work, 65 signs were installed and nine new signposts, roadside vegetation was cut back and about 70 metres of footway was reconstructed.

With overnight traffic management in place, the East Sussex Highways contactor Balfour Beatty Living Places took the opportunity to clean the roadside across the village, clean gullies on the high street, remove three dangerous trees, and repaired a pothole and an area of broken carriageway edge in the High Street.

Ends.