At a meeting of the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth Decisions, Surrey County Council, those present discussed road safety, traffic calming, and investment in the Vision Zero Road Safety Strategy. The Cabinet Member, Councillor Matt Furniss, approved a list of schemes outlined in annexes one to four of the Vision Zero Road Safety Capital Investment Programme report, for delivery beginning in the financial year 2025/26. He also agreed that changes to the schemes and changes to the program within the approved budget amount be delegated to the Director for Highways and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, ensuring that Divisional Members for each scheme are informed.

Vision Zero Road Safety Capital Investment Programme

Councillor Matt Furniss approved the lists of schemes in annexes one to four of the Vision Zero Capital Investment Programme report for delivery beginning in the financial year 2025/26. The schemes aim to reduce road casualties, tackle speeding, and make walking, push scooting and cycling to school safer and more attractive.

The report detailed how the schemes would be delivered using the budgets for the next two years 2025/26 - 2026/27 as set out in the most recent Medium Term Financial Strategy¹, as follows:

• £1.0 million for the 20 mph Speed Limit Programme
• £1.2 million for the Road Safety Outside Schools Investment Programme
• £0.4 million for Road Safety Speed Management Schemes
• £0.9 million for Road Safety Schemes
• £1.3 million for the Department of Transport Safer Roads Fund

Councillor Matt Furniss also agreed that changes to schemes and changes to the program within the approved budget amount be delegated to the Director for Highways and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, ensuring that Divisional Members for each scheme are informed.

The report noted that decisions on investment beyond 2026/27 will be for the new local authorities to decide upon following the outcome of the Local Government Review.

The Surrey RoadSafe Vision Zero Road Safety Strategy was approved by the County Council’s Cabinet in July 2024. It aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Surrey's roads by 50% by 2035. The strategy adopts a Safe Systems approach, acknowledging that road users will make mistakes and that the road system should be designed to be as safe and forgiving as possible for all users.

The investment programme includes:

• 20 mph Speed Limit Programme: £1 million is allocated over the next two years for implementing 20 mph speed limits, focusing on urban areas, residential streets, and near schools. 19 quick win schemes have been identified for implementation in the first year, subject to local member support and community engagement. These schemes are in areas such as the Barnsbury Estate, the Old Dean Estate, and the Meadowcroft Estate.
• Road Safety Outside Schools Programme: £1.2 million is allocated over two years for highway schemes near schools to support active travel and deter anti-social driving and parking. This follows a previous £3 million investment in 2022. The schemes are prioritised based on factors such as the level of need, likely impact, estimated cost, and local engagement.
• Speed Management Programme: £0.4 million is allocated over two years to continue the rural speed limit project, which aims to review and implement more appropriate lower speed limits on rural roads in the south of Surrey.
• Road Safety Schemes: An annual budget of £0.4 million will be invested in highway improvement schemes with the greatest potential to reduce collisions at collision hotspots throughout the county.
• Department of Transport Safer Roads Fund Project: £1.3 million will be invested over two years to improve the A25 between Dorking and Reigate, following a £1.8 million award from the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Fund in 2023.

Petition for Traffic Calming Measures and 20mph Speed Limit in Ford Road, Bisley

Dr Ayres presented a petition requesting traffic calming measures and a 20mph speed limit in Ford Road.

Dr Ayres argued that the petition was about the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable road users, such as walkers, cyclists, horse riders and dog walkers, who use Ford Road to access the local nature reserve. Dr Ayres stated:

The residents of Ford Road should be able to use the road to gain access to the local amenities without such fear and intimidation that they experience when confronted by coaches and HGVs at 30 miles an hour in what is fundamentally a single track highway.

Dr Ayres also criticised the council's previous decision to redirect HGVs from Lucas Green Road into Ford Road, and asked the council to reconsider its stance and assess the worries and fears of vulnerable road users.

Anne-Marie Hannam, Principal Traffic and Commissioning Engineer, responded that the council appreciated the issues on Ford Road and Lucas Green Road, and would like to introduce a 20mph speed limit, but that this would require traffic calming measures to be successful. She added that the scheme would be included on a new programme of schemes that the council is looking for funding for in the future.

Councillor Matt Furniss recommended that Dr Ayres seek the support of the Divisional County Councillor, Councillor Rebecca Jennings-Evans, who has a highways allocation of £120,000 that could be put towards the scheme.

Dr Ayres raised concerns that no one from the council had visited the site to assess the level of anxiety experienced by vulnerable road users, and suggested that the council should take a road safety approach rather than a vehicle compliance approach.

Petition for Northmead Junior School Road Safety

The meeting addressed a petition requesting that Surrey County Council repaint the zigzag lines outside Northmead Junior School entrance, introduce double yellow lines on the section of Grange Road by the school entrance, and erect a flashing school warning sign.

The council's response noted that the site had been visited and assessed by officers, and that a School Crossing Patrol Officer had started work on 7 February 2025. The council also noted that the site already has school flashing signs on both the northbound and southbound approaches, and that these were found to be working correctly during a recent site assessment. The request for the School Keep Clear and yellow line markings to be refreshed was noted and passed to maintenance colleagues.

The council encouraged the school to create a travel plan and take part in the council’s Feet First: Walking training programme.

Member's Questions

Councillor Bart asked about the cycle hierarchy in the Surrey transport plan, which was signed off in July 2022, and requested a timeline for its implementation. Councillor Matt Furniss agreed to provide a written answer with key timelines and dates for the work.