Ratton Neighbourhood Panels News
29th April 2010
Chair of Ratton and Rodmill Neighbourhood Panel Passes Away
Former member of Eastbourne Borough and East Sussex County Council Michael Tunwell passed away in his sleep at his home in Ratton on Tuesday night. He was 80.
Mr Tunwell had worked for many years on behalf of the people of Eastbourne and East Sussex in a wide range of roles that included mayor of Eastbourne and chairman of the county council. He has also been leader of both the borough and county councils and chairman of a number of borough and county committees. In addition to appointments to a wide range of outside bodies, he served on the Sussex Police Authority, the South East Employers' Organisation and the Ratton Neighbourhood Panel. He also served as a governor at Ratton, Cavendish, Ocklynge and Willingdon Trees schools
Neighbourhood Sergeant Fiona Munro, “It came as a great shock that we heard that Michael Tunwell had died suddenly this week He was the chairman of the Ratton and Rodmill Neighbourhood Panel, a role he took on after he retired as a County Councillor. I had the pleasure of working with Mr Tunwell who was an old-fashioned gentleman in the real sense and I will always remember him for his impeccable bow tie that he wore on all occasions. He dedicated a large part of his life to public service in Eastbourne, and gave a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Neighbourhood Panel and to me. I had high regards for his views, wisdom, humour and Diligence to his office. He will be sorely missed by everyone at the Neighbourhood Policing Team."
Park Lane Petition for Footpath
Following the decision of the Panel to invite the views of residents in Park Lane, and those residing in roads leading directly from Park Lane, together with those who regularly use the school entrance in Park Lane, a petition was launched after the last meeting calling for a footpath to be provided for pedestrians.
Results for the petition calling for a footpath in Park Lane are as follows:-
In favour - 218
Against - 9
The Chairman of East Sussex County Council, Bob Lacey, has kindly agreed to attend in Park Lane on a date to be arranged to receive the petition from Ratton County Cllr. Michael Tunwell on behalf of Ratton residents.
Rodmill All-day Parking
Cllr. Belsey has confirmed that work is now well advanced on the latest proposals for Control Orders to restrict all day parking in certain areas of Rodmill and it is anticipated that the consultation process will be under way before the date of the next Panel meeting. In the meantime, Cllr. Belsey confirmed that he has already taken action to ensure contractors responsible for roadworks in the area, make good all damaged road surfaces and footpaths.
Resignation of Chairman
David Tomlinson, current Chairman for Ratton Neighbourhood Panel has announced his intention to resign as Chairman at the next meeting of the Panel on 21 April
Traffic Review
For the past 15 years there has been growing concern by residents and others about the danger for pedestrians, children attending Ratton School and other road users as a result of the lack of a footpath in Park Lane, Eastbourne.
At a recent street meeting in Park Lane, residents had the opportunity to voice their anger over the failure of East Sussex County Council to act. The upshot of recent discussion is that a petition seeking support from the community for a footpath in Park Lane is now in the process of being organised and will be presented to the Chairman of the East Sussex County Council, Cllr. Bob Lacey OBE in due course.
Rodmill Parking
Residents of the Rodmill estate have been pressing for action to be taken for some time over the problem of traffic congestion in the Rodmill area because of all day on street parking by motorists who, in many cases, are visiting locations in the area. It is understood that moves are now advanced for consultation with Rodmill residents on proposals for the introduction of Traffic Orders in parts of the Rodmill area.
In the meantime, click here to view reports on the parking that appeared in the Eastbourne Herald, which are published by kind permission of the editor.
Cold Calling Zones
It has been suggested that some areas of Ratton might be appropriate for the introduction of Cold Calling zones aimed at saying ‘NO’ to uninvited sales persons and to warn rogue traders and cold callers that they are not welcome. This approached is known to have worked well at two other locations in Eastbourne and it is hoped that the introduction of schemes for Ratton will help to reduce crime arising from doorstep callers, bogus workmen, high pressure sales people, bogus officials and distraction burglary. The areas under consideration are:
- Little Ratton
- Ratton Village
- Burton Road
All-day Parking Rodmill
The issue of all day parking in the Rodmill area continues to remain as a major concern for residents. Concern has also been expressed at the continued difficulties experienced by large commercial vehicles including refuse vehicles and buses that are unable to gain access to a number of residential properties as a result of the congestion. Cllr. Belsey has confirmed that proposals to introduce Traffic Orders aimed at restricting parking in some areas of Rodmill are now advanced, although some work remains to be done. It is anticipated that formal consultation with the Rodmill community will take place in late January 2009.
Developing the Role of Neighbourhood Watch
It is recognised that Neighbourhood Watch Panels all too often suffer from a low profile and are seen by some as nothing short of a 'peepers charter'. However, an effective Neighbourhood Watch Scheme can serve as a valuable role in both supporting the Police and preventing crime.
Proposed Changes - Neighbourhood Panel Format
Following a decision to introduce a number of additional Panels elsewhere in Eastbourne, some concern has been expressed that the proposed introduction of new Panels would be likely to cause confusion where responsibility might cross Ward boundaries. However, Sussex Police have been able to provide reassurance that the Ratton Neighbourhood Panel would be largely unaffected by proposed changes elsewhere in Eastbourne.
Village Green Status - Westlords
The campaign by Cllr Colin Belsey to obtain Village Green status for the open space known as Westlords continues. Cllr Belsey confirmed that he is still waiting for a number of responses to support the application that will define community use for the site over a number of years.
Anyone who has information about community use and general activities on the site at any time should contact Cllr Belsey with information that could support his application. Cllr Belsey can be contacted by e-mail at colin@eastbourneconservatives.com or by telephone 01323 720776.
Traffic Management Concerns
A number of traffic management issues have been identified by the Panel in recent months some of which have already been presented to County Cllr Matthew Lock, when he attended a Panel meeting in May this year. He agreed to take the issues away for further consideration. It is recognised that there are no short term solutions and finance will continue to be a significant consideration. The issues identified include:
- Request for a footpath in Park Lane to include pedestrian safety.
- Installation of a school bus lay-by in Park Avenue outside Ratton School.
- Traffic calming in Park Avenue to reduce excessive vehicle speeds.
- Willingdon Road – speed restriction from 40 mph to 30 mph
We are advised that traffic flow and congestion in the surrounding area will be taken into consideration as part of any traffic calming survey to be undertaken by East Sussex County Council next year.