Fishbourne could become a 20mph village

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In a move to stop people speeding through small residential roads, a community bid has been launched to turn Fishbourne into a 20mph village.

Parts of the village have long since been used as rat-runs for people looking to avoid the A27 or the notoriously congested Fishbourne Roundabout.

Now every resident in Fishbourne is being asked if they want residential roads in their village to become 20mph.

Fishbourne Parish Council chairman Geoff Hand said: “It started with a request from the Flavian Fields Residents’ Association about the possibility of a 20mph limit in their part of the village, but they then thought it would be a whole lot stronger if it was a request for the whole village.

“A whole village approach is easier to do than bits of it.

“At the moment it is a six-week survey asking everyone in Fishbourne what they think.

“If most people are in favour the parish council will submit a proposal to the South Chichester County Local Committee, who will decide in public whether or not to proceed with the scheme.”

The move is part of a wider drive for lower speeds through the village, which is being called 40-30-20.

As well as making all residential roads except the A259 20mph, the parish council wants to reduce part of Salthill Road, to the north of the A27 flyover, to 40 from 60mph, and enforce 30mph along parts of the A259 with better signage.

“I have to say that most people drive through Fishbourne sensibly, but you do get the 10-15 per cent who drive like idiots and speed through, overtaking cars going 30mph at 40-50mph,” Mr Hand said.

“Fishbourne is used enormously as a rat-run, I know lots of people use it to avoid the Fishbourne Roundabout and A27.

“Because we are at the end of the A259, we get all the cumulative traffic from Bosham, Chidham and Emsworth coming through us, and with all the new housing being built nearby including Whitehouse Farm, that will only get worse.