Lewes Bonfire traffic warning: road closures, parking suspensions and changes to train services

Lewes Bonfire’s multi-agency partnership said the event takes place on Saturday, November 4, and ‘remains an event for local people’ to prevent overcrowding.

The group, which is made up of emergency services, public bodies and other organisations, warned that celebrations will mean road closures, parking suspensions and changes to train services. Visit lewesbonfire2023.blogspot.com.

A statement issued by Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council said: “This year’s event presents a particular challenge to the multi-agency group tasked with ensuring public safety particularly because it falls on a Saturday. This is likely to make the event even more popular and tens of thousands of people are expected in the town, prompting concerns about over-crowding particularly in busy areas such as the War Memorial.

“Sussex Police officers will be on duty to support the event’s stewarding and security teams, this includes at road closure sites as well as in the town centre itself. Anyone attending the event who sees suspicious activity or something that doesn’t seem right should report it to the stewarding teams or police officers on patrol. Attendees are also reminded that the use of drones during the event is strictly prohibited and is a criminal offence.”

Road closures will be in place outside Lewes from 4pm with road closures in town at 4.45pm. There will be diversions for traffic to travel outside of the town and Lewes residents are advised to get vehicles home before 4pm.

Visitors are advised not to bring vehicles into Lewes. A full list of the restrictions is at www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/lewesbonfire.

The road closures include: A27 junction with A277 Brighton Road (Ashcombe Roundabout); A275 junction with Offham Road; C7 Kingston Road junction with C324 Wellgreen Lane; A26 junction with A2029 Malling Street; and A26 Malling Hill Junction with Church Lane. The A26 from Earwig Corner to the Cuilfail Tunnel will be open to through traffic.

Parking restrictions in Lewes will be imposed from 12pm. The council said there will be no trains calling at Lewes, Glynde, Southease, Falmer and Cooksbridge after 3pm and no trains will call at these stations until the first timetabled trains on Sunday morning, November 5.