Councillor John Rogers, mayor of Polegate, said the roundabout used to have a smooth flow of traffic before the lights were installed.

Cllr Rogers added, "I stood there for half an hour and there were no pedestrians and the lights still went red.

"It just seems to me that it is a ridiculous situation."

Councillor Roy Martin thinks there is too much traffic backing up because of the pedestrian crossing.

Cllr Martin said, "The pedestrian crossing is too close to the roundabout.

In a letter to the Herald, Cllr Martin said, "There are still a lot of vehicles travelling through the High Street, as a direct consequence of the Cophall Roundabout not being as orginally designed, the mini roundabout at the top of the High Street which I always opposed, and the failure of the Highways Agency to build the Folkington Link.

"This, combined with the build up of traffic again on the A2270 through Willingdon and the failure to complete the distribution roads in to Eastbourne all contribute to Polegate's problems."

A spokesperson for the Highways Agency said, "The Highways Agency is committed to safe roads and on listening to and acting on feedback from our customers.

"An independent safety report on the Cophall Roundabout has recently been completed and the Highways Agency is considering its recommendations.

"The report did not recommend the movement of the pedestrian crossing.

"However, the Highways Agency listens carefully to feedback from its customers and are giving this thorough consideration."