SUICIDE JUNCTION

 

  A DANGEROUS JUNCTION LIKE THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN

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Suicide Junction A271 Herstmonceux, Gardner Street

 

FEB 11 2021 - A large Mercedes truck approaches Suicide Junction, passing by the football grounds, into the 30 mph speed zone, up Death Hill. The average speed at approach is well over 40 mph in both directions.

 

 

 

Death Hill leading into suicide junction on the A271 at Herstmonceux

 

WALKERS - The pavement on the right as you approach Herstmonceux village is used by quite a high number of residents, as a passage to Windmill Hill, another area with new builds, creating more traffic. Dog walkers also use this route. Drivers are braking as they pass the speed signs, where they approach the brow of Death Hill, the location of a number of accidents on the west face.

 

 

 

Death Hill is an accident hotspot waiting to happen

 

LIMITED VISIBILITY - Having just navigated the brow of the hill leading out of the village, a driver behind a largish vehicle cannot see Suicide Junction or the pedestrians along the pavement.

 

 

 

Large trucks frequently travel this busy A road causing massive potholes

 

A271 - Large trucks carry goods to and from Tonbrige and Hastings, Lewes and Brighton. The A271 meets the A22 at the Boship Roundabout, also forking off to Crowborough, the former Council offices, a vipers nest of legal dirty dealings in the past involving Vic Scarpa, Christine Nuttal, David Phillips and the present Chief Executive, Trevor Scott.

 

 

 

 

VISIBILITY SPLAY - Deficiencies in the specification of what locals are calling 'Suicide Junction,' only really become apparent when a driver seeks to exit Shit Avenue and join the A271 at Death Hill. Walkers using the pavement are likely to skirt around vehicles, straying into the path of following traffic. Did Ben Lenton factor that in for ESCC Highways? Nice one!

 

 

 

 

CORPORATE MANSLAUGHTER - Thought by many to be the most dangerous junction leading to a blind hill. What were East Sussex Highways thinking of in approving this tiny entrance, devoid of a suitable visibility play, in the process putting so many local residents and through traffic at risk. Locals are calling this stretch of road Death Hill, and we agree with that sentiment. It is an accident waiting to happen in our view. This is the entrance to Shit Avenue, as the locals are referring to it, under construction by Westridge.

 

 

 

Imagine that it is school run time, you are late and there is a car behind you hooting. The road ahead is barely visible with a mist, but it looks clear to make a right turn onto the A271. Then over the brow of the hill to the left, fast moving traffic appears, the drivers going a little too fast up the hill because of being delayed in the usual village snarl up. They do not see your car where your vehicle is grey and sprayed with road dirt. They drive straight into the side of your vehicle.

 

Who is responsible?  

 

ESCC Highways were responsible for ensuring that the visibility splay would be adequate in all circumstances.

 

The developers are responsible and equally guilty due to the Accessories and Abettors Act, and so is Wealden, their officers and councillors, for granting permission. Even the Parish councillors are part to blame, for not opposing such proposals, when any ordinary person would think to be risky at best. All of these actors owed the drivers of vehicles on the A271, and those seeking to use this junction as access, a duty of care, as per Wednesbury Rule principles of law.

 

Either way, with ESCC and WDC being corporations, the same as Latimer Homes and Westridge Construction, we are looking at a charge of corporate manslaughter, the same as with Railtrack plc and Grenfell Towers. It matters not that Westridge Construction undertook the work, they will not bear the brunt of any prosecution or litigation alone, but will stand accused the same as Latimer Developments and Clarion Group, and all the council officials in the chain. Especially, concerning the complete lack of entries in the Registers of the Parish and District councils, allegedly.

 

 

Jeremy Brokenshire  MP Conservative Huw Merriman  Pam Doodes Conservative Chairman Wealden Herstmonceux

 

CONTACT YOUR MP OR COUNCILLOR - Concerning the potential for manslaughter charges in the case of accidents at this recently identified danger area, you might want to write to the MPs or Councillors responsible for allowing the development, to avoid a Grenfell Tower legal situation where potential homeowners may be unable to sell property in the future. In 2015, James Brokenshire was asked to call in the application that led to this deficient visibility splay - and dangerously confused placing between the brow of a hill and speed signs - but he refused. We wonder if that refusal constitutes "joint enterprise" should there be a fatality.

 

 

The Grim Reaper

 

CAUSING DEATH BY DANGEROUS DRIVING - We imagine that a valid defence in this case would be that the visibility splay leading to Death Hill was inadequate, laying the blame at the foot of those involved in the development chain. Compensation might be claimed against injury or loss of any children that may be consequential upon failure of Highways to secure safety measures to the requisite standard. Pain and suffering relating to the parents anguish at the death of their loved ones, or the loss of any adult might be claimed and confiscation orders made against the developer and/or the council in any case involving corporate manslaughter. This brings to mind the Wednesbury (Corporation) case that established the Rule of Reasonableness in making Judicial Review applications.

 

 

 

WD/2015/0090/ HERSTMONCEUX LIME CROSS CONDITIONS

 

1. Permission subject to detailed particulars
2. Appearance & Landscape

3. Application for reserved matters in 3 years

4. No dev. without archaeological programme

5. No dev. until written scheme 4. published

6. Contamination to be reported subsequently

7. Details code of construction TB approved

8. Temporary contractor provisions

 9.  Noise restrictions working hours

10. Details brickwork finishes
11. Joinery details, windows, doors

12. Details hard & soft landscaping

13. Details screening, trees, hedges

14. Planting trees Chapel Row, Museum

15. Landscape management plan

16. Wildlife management details

17. Japanese Knotweed survey

18. Access prior to building works

19. Visibility splays entrance A271

20. Internal site access roads

21. Car parking details

22. Garages no commercial use

23. No felling trees hedgerows

24. Tree protection existing TPO

25. Bins refuse collection & disposal

26. Foul drainage sewerage works

27. Surface water drainage

28. No discharges foul water

29. Flood resilient buildings

30. Surface water drainage

31. Light pollution AONB

32  Renewable energy

33. No permitted dev buildings

34. No permitted gates/fences

35. Limited to included docs

 

 

 

 

SUICIDE JUNCTION - This is the section of road known locally as Shit Avenue, leading onto the busy A271 at Death Hill. Shit Avenue leads into Pooh Park. In the distance you can see the trees bounding Lime Park, where the houses (if) built on the feed slope leading to Lime Well, will more than likely poison the historic drinking water, potentially making all in the chain leading to such contamination liable by way of common purpose (civil damages) and/or joint enterprise during prosecutions under extant environmental statute.

 

 

 

HIGHWAYS - EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

 

The stretch or road fronting the site is subject to a 30mph speed limit; however a speed survey has been undertaken close to the proposed access point in order to determine actual vehicle speeds. The results of this survey indicate an 85th % tile vehicle speeds of 40.6mph for vehicles approaching the site access from the north-west and 44.9mph for those approaching from the south-east.

The submitted plan (Drawing No. ITB9063 GA 002 Rev F) indicates the two visibility splays either side of the site access. One set indicates the sight lines based on the criteria contained in Manual for Streets for driver perception/reaction times and deceleration rates. Based on the 85th percentile recorded speeds this gives 2.4m x 67m to the left and 2.4m x 79m to the right. The second set indicates the sight line based on the speed limit of the road on the approach as per the guidance contained in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. This gives 2.4m x 90m to the left and 2.4m x 120m to the right.

I (Ben Lenton) have calculated the visibility splay requirements based on the recorded speeds and using a combination of the guidance provided by Manual for Streets and Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Based on this formula the visibility requirements are 2.4m x 105m to the west and 2.4m x 122m to the east.

 

Although the sightlines shown on the submitted plan fall short of the requirements based on my own calculations I am satisfied that appropriate visibility splays can be provided either side of the site access.

Subject to the layout and construction being in accordance with the County Councils specification I have no major concerns regarding the proposed vehicular access into the site. I am also satisfied that the minor issue raised in the Road Safety Audit of the site access can be addressed fully. Presumably in terms of quantum and the size of the brown envelope, or looking the other way in anticipation of CIL payments and council taxes?

 

 

 

Defective visibility splay at Herstmonceux A271 village in Sussex

 

 

 

 

 

NPPF - NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK A - Z INDEX

 

 

 

WD/2015/0090/MAO HERSTMONCEUX VILLAGE 70 HOUSES CONDITIONS A - Z INDEX

 

 -  Conditions Index A - Z
1. Permission subject to detailed particulars
2. Appearance & Landscape

3. Application for reserved matters in 3 years

4. No dev. without archaeological programme

5. No dev. until written scheme 4. published

6. Contamination to be reported subsequently

7. Details code of construction TB approved

8. Temporary contractor provisions

 9.  Noise restrictions working hours

10. Details brickwork finishes
11. Joinery details, windows, doors

12. Details hard & soft landscaping

13. Details screening, trees, hedges

14. Planting trees Chapel Row, Museum

15. Landscape management plan

16. Wildlife management details

17. Japanese Knotweed survey

18. Access prior to building works

19. Visibility splays entrance A271

20. Internal site access roads

21. Car parking details

22. Garages no commercial use

23. No felling trees hedgerows

24. Tree protection existing TPO

25. Bins refuse collection & disposal

26. Foul drainage sewerage works

27. Surface water drainage

28. No discharges foul water

29. Flood resilient buildings

30. Surface water drainage

31. Light pollution AONB

32  Renewable energy

33. No permitted dev buildings

34. No permitted gates/fences

35. Limited to included docs

 

 

 

LINKS & REFERENCE

 

https:/

 

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WHAT'S BROWN AND SMELLS OF SHIT? - That's right, decisions like granting permission for an access that clearly poses a danger to users of the A271 and those seeking to join the traffic flow during rush hour.

 

 

 

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