Barnham & Eastergate Parish Council acknowledge residents’ concerns regarding speeding, antisocial driving and road safety generally across the Parish.

Safety concerns specifically relating to excess speed and safe crossing points on the Barnham Road, Eastergate as well as the damage to the roundabout that surrounds the war memorial are concerns the Parish Council has actively been engaging and working with West Sussex County Council (WSCC) Highways Team on for over a year and continue to do.

In late 2025, the Parish Council launched the Barnham Road Working Group. The aim of this group is to improve the general look, feel and safety along the stretch of Barnham Road between Eastergate Village Hall and the war memorial roundabout. Since its launch, the group has been liaising with the relevant authorities to drive improvements, make suggestions and share residents’ concerns.  A walk of the road was completed by Parish Council representatives and WSCC Highways Team where a number of issues were highlighted, including a safe crossing point.

The Parish Council have recently successfully led discussions with Octavius, the contractor working on the new A29 realignment scheme, to improve sections of the footpaths along Barnham Road. Octavius have agreed to support by digging back to restore footpaths to their original widths and cutting back vegetation. These works will be completed in stages over the coming months and Octavius are completing these works as part of their social value work. These improvements will be a direct result of the Parish Council’s engagement.

In relation to the damage caused to the roundabout that surrounds the war memorial, WSCC Highways are actively progressing a longer term solution and funding has recently been approved to undertake feasibility and design work for a more robust roundabout layout that can better accommodate HGV movements. WSCC are in the early stages of discussions with design contractors and a site visit has already taken place. WSCC have advised the roundabout is monitored regularly to ensure that it is not presenting a safety risk to highway users. WSCC have also confirmed they intend to repair the roundabout in October, ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

The war memorial is Parish Council owned, however the roundabout that surrounds it is not. The memorial itself has not been subject to any damage, however we continue to monitor this closely as the memorial is grade II listed.

It is important to note that the Parish Council has limited powers when it comes to the public highway, however we recognise how important road safety is in the community. The Parish Council owns and operates two Speed Indicator Devices which are regularly moved around to different locations within the Parish.

The Parish Council has recently partnered with and provided funding for equipment for the newly formed Barnham and Eastergate Community Speedwatch Group and looks forward to working with the group further to support their work.

The Barnham Road Working Group plans to hold a community engagement event over the coming months. Details of this meeting will be shared on our website, email newsletter and social media platforms once confirmed.

Barnham & Eastergate Parish Council | 24th September 2026