Green light for Seaside bus lanes
By Huw Oxburgh, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter
The former leader of Eastbourne Borough Council and the town’s ex-mayor voiced differing views as a controversial plan for bus lanes in Seaside was approved.
Cllr David Tutt said the bus lanes would cause "absolute misery" but Cllr Pat Rodohan argued the town needed faster bus services.
The proposal was backed unanimously by East Sussex County Council’s planning committee (October 15) despite more than 500 objections to the bus lanes in both directions along a section of the road.
The scheme will create an eastbound bus lane in Seaside, between the junction with Windermere Crescent and Seaside roundabout; and a westbound bus lane in St Anthony’s Avenue, between Langney Roundabout and Seaside roundabout.
Other measures include new and upgraded pedestrian crossings, as well as a time-limited parking area in Seaside.
The plans, part of the authority’s wider Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), attracted 544 objections.
What did councillors say?
St Anthony’s division councillor David Tutt (Lib Dem), the former leader of Eastbourne Borough council, said that those views should be heard as he highlighted worries about air quality, congestion, pedestrian safety and loss of parking.
Cllr Tutt is not a member of the planning commmitee but attended to voice his concerns.
He said: “There will be considerable loss of parking along the route and the impact of that will be that the residential roads that flow on to Seaside will receive far more cars and vehicles parked there outside of people’s homes.”
He added: “I beg you to refuse the plans. To accept them will make the lives of people living in the area that I represent – both those of residents and the business community – an absolute misery.”
But councillor Pat Rodohan (Lib Dem, Upperton), a former mayor of the town and member of ESCC's planning committee, took a different view.
Cllr Rodohan said: “I am very conscious of the increase in the population around Eastbourne and the importance of Seaside as a route into Eastbourne for local residents, for the businesses and for our public services. Many times of day that area is gridlocked.
“We need more and faster bus services and faster movement of traffic. There is never going to be a perfect scheme, but I am hopeful that the substantial changes that have happened to the scheme will alleviate much of the worries of the residents and the businesses.
“For that reason, I have decided I will put my hand up and backing this scheme.”
In a report, officers said the ‘substantial changes’ referenced by Cllr Rodohan had been made in response to public feedback.
These changes included: the creation of a new limited-waiting parking area in Seaside; extra zig-zag strokes across Southbourne Road, Finmere Road and Queens Crescent; and allowing cyclists to use the bus lanes.
What did councillors decide?
The committee ultimately agreed not to uphold the objections to the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
Labour councillor Godfrey Daniel (Hastings - Braybrooke and Castle) backed the revised scheme and said: “I think overall I am on the side of public transport and I think the scheme, whilst not perfect, is better than it is now, because everything we hear about now is not good.”
Bus lane plan near railway station
At the same meeting, the committee considered a second TRO connected with bus improvements near Eastbourne’s railway station. This attracted only 29 responses; 14 in support and 15 against.
The plans are for an eastbound bus lane on both Upperton Road and Station Parade, between Wharf Road and the railway station.
Other measures allow for upgrades to an existing staggered pedestrian crossing on Station Parade and changes to the road layout.
These road layout changes had initially included ‘no right turn’ restrictions between Upperton Road and The Enterprise Shopping Centre’s car park. But following public feedback, officers recommended this element could be dropped.
The amended scheme would have meant vehicles could turn right into the shopping centre’s car park from Upperton Road, but not turn right when leaving the car park. It was noted how an existing road island would be removed to make this possible.
What did councillors decide?
But the committee heard concerns from Denise Harwood, the shopping centre’s commercial director. She argued the right-hand turn and bus lane could cause safety and congestion issues for car park users.
Ms Harwood said the committee should defer its decision to allow for further modelling on the proposals to be undertaken. This was supported by both Cllr Tutt and Cllr Rodohan.
The committee agreed; the decision on the TRO at the station was deferred until its meeting in December.
:: The Local Democracy Reporting Service is funded by the BBC in response to the decline in news coverage of local authorities’ activities. Credible media outlets governed by a regulator’s code of ethics can use these reports. The Eastbourne Reporter is governed by independent press regulator Impress.
