The proposals for a road linking Hastings and Bexhill triggered a massive response from local people - 4,500 visited the February exhibitions to find out more about the route options.
And a lot of residents have responded to the consultation, giving their views on the six route options through the 2,000 questionnaires that have been returned. These are now being analysed to inform the County Council's selection of a preferred route and July bid for Government cash to build the road.
Councillor Paul Silverson, portfolio holder responsible for Regeneration & Planning, is delighted that so many local people have responded to the consultation. He said:
"Local people obviously recognise that the situation as it stands is intolerable and that doing nothing is no longer an option. I hope that this consultation has helped people to understand the benefits, environmental effects and costs of a road. The opinions and ideas expressed by local residents will be taken into account in deciding the preferred route option for the link road."
The government charged East Sussex County Council to come up with a road linking Hastings and Bexhill, following a series of studies on travel and transport along the south coast which showed that there was a need for one. The route options were developed in close consultation with English Nature, English Heritage, the Environment Agency and Countryside Agency, to ensure environmental impact is managed effectively.
The options have been developed for local traffic to use instead of the congested and polluted A259. Hastings Borough Council recently declared part of Bexhill Road an Air Quality Monitoring Area because of the very heavy pollution caused by traffic on the A259.
The link road has a key role to play in the bigger, long-term aim to regenerate Hastings and Bexhill and features in plans put together by the Task Force. Central to its development will be a direct link from the Queensway to the A21 and careful consideration of the environmentally sensitive sites near the proposed routes.
With road improvements and less traffic to deal with, other transport improvements can be made. These are likely to include bus lanes and better provision for cyclists and pedestrians, giving people a greater choice of transport options around Bexhill and Hastings.
Click on image for enlarged view of proposed routes
Back to top of page...
< Councillors @ a Click | Hastings Regeneration Partnership >
This page last updated: 26/04/2004