Conservative county councillors from Eastbourne’s Ratton area want to block their own officers’ transport proposals. They are objecting to plans to enhance “active travel” and reduce traffic congestion in the Hailsham, Polegate and Eastbourne “transport corridor”.
The Council’s proposals are an attempt to redesign the transport infrastructure to cope with thousands of new households in the area. As their website explains “Demand is increasing for new housing and commercial development in the South Wealden and Eastbourne areas… East Sussex County Council has identified a number of locations which may become more heavily congested as a result of increased road traffic from new developments… These measures include junction improvements, construction of bus lanes and cycle routes and improvements to bus stops and footways… By making sustainable transport more attractive, we hope to minimise the expected increase in congestion.”
But local residents appear to be in no mood for compromise: they do not want to lose on-street parking, footpaths or grass verges and nor will they accept bus lanes or traffic-calming measures.
