‘It means the world’: Joy as speed limit on Horsham ‘rat run’ slashed in half

Janice Smith said she has been campaigning to get the 60mph limit on Tower Hill lowered for the 12 years she has lived there.

And now the 59-year-old assistant manager of Cancer Research UK in Horsham has been victorious in her campaign.

She told the County Times: “I know it means the world to all the residents.

“It’s taken me from the day I moved in until now to get it done.

“I’m just so pleased that it’s happened.”

Speaking to the County Times in January 2020, Janice condemned the road as a ‘rat run’.

She said: “I don’t wish to be killed. I just want to be able to cross safely.”

Janice spoke out after she was left in ‘floods of tears’ following a near miss which ‘ruined her day’.

But now the delighted resident is urging drivers in the area to take care and to abide by the new lower limit.

She said: “I love living where I live but I don’t want to get knocked over.”

Janice, who cycles into town for work, said she is hopeful that in the future a road may be built from the Hop Oast roundabout to Christ’s Hospital to reduce traffic further.

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “The speed reduction on Tower Hill is the result of a privately-funded Traffic Regulation Order that was approved by the County Council, in compliance with our Speed Policy. Within the next 12 months we will be conducting a post-construction assessment on the effects of the new speed limit, to establish if this has had an impact on average vehicular speeds.

“There are currently no proposals to construct a new road between Hop Oast Roundabout and Christ’s Hospital.”