Frustrated villagers have had enough of the “never ending” stream of traffic passing their homes and have warned it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.
Residents in Storrington, Sullington and Cootham say their wellbeing is badly affected by more than 500,000 vehicles driving through the three villages each month, with many being kept up at night by the loud noises from vehicles.
They say more than 40 per cent of vehicles going through Storrington exceed the 30mph speed limit and that HGVs use the village as a cut through, not following the designated lorry route network recommended by West Sussex County Council.
Many residents fear a serious accident is inevitable.
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Louise Mosey, who lives in Pulborough Road (A283) in Storrington, said: “We are regularly woken by noisy HGVs which make our windows rattle. It is very stressful living here. The stream of traffic is never ending.
“The air quality is poor and every day the village’s children, elderly and our pets are put in danger. This has been going on for far too long and we have had enough. We need urgent action and we need it now.”
Horsham District Councillor for Storrington and Washington Claudia Fisher said residents are suffering in an “unacceptable way”.
Residents from the villages will gather in the square in Storrington at 11am today as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the traffic issues they face and the impact on their daily lives.
There will be flags flying with the statement “We love our village” and there will be boards along the main roads with messages asking motorists to drive carefully and keep speeds down.
“The overwhelming message is to remind drivers that people live, work, play and learn here and that residents deserve to be considered by those driving through,” said Storrington Traffic Group.
Over the past few weeks, residents have been cleaning road signs, cutting back foliage that obscure signs, clearing around street crossing points and removing weeds from the centre of the village.
The hope is that this hard work will both boost Storrington’s strong community spirit and make the village feel more like a village, so visitors are more respectful when passing through.
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