Campaigners’ plea for traffic calming in Bexhill Old Town

Concerned residents and councillors said the area was becoming a ‘rat run’ and that the volume of traffic had risen since the link road opened in December 2015.

The campaign has been set up by Brian and Jenny Miller and several petitions have been launched.

Brian said: “There have always been safety issues in the Old Town because of the layout of the area, as there are no pavements in some areas, with blind corners and often the 30mph limit is not observed.”

He said there are several petitions people can sign, with one in each of the cafes in the Old Town, one at the Quakers Mill hairdressers and one at the St Peter’s Community Centre.

Bexhill councillors Christine Bayliss, Terry Byrne, Paul Courtel, Polly Gray and Hazel Timpe, have written to the county council calling for traffic calming measures to be implemented.

Cllr Bayliss said: “Since the link road was built the High Street has become a rat run via Chantry Lane to the link road.

“It’s a very narrow and winding area, with people going too fast.

“We would like to see the introduction of a 20mph zone throughout Bexhill Old Town with appropriate signage, the reintroduction of unregulated parking alongside the east side of the High Street in a bid to slow down traffic and creation of physical features, such as choke points and central refuges that would aid safe crossing in High Street and De La Warr Road.”

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said: “Prior to receiving this letter, we have recently received a request to consider road safety improvements in Old Town. These included a request for a 20mph speed limit with associated traffic calming measures, as well as junction improvements and measures to assist pedestrians.

“We only have very limited resources for road safety improvements and therefore we have to target these resources to the areas where the need is greatest, and where they will have the most impact.

“This area was not chosen to be taken forward for a more in-depth assessment as it doesn’t meet the criteria at present and has an excellent safety record.

“However, we will consider all the measures put forward by the councillors and in any subsequent petition to assess whether any of them might be feasible in the future.”

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