New plans drawn up for controversial Eastbourne bus lane which had been delayed

The original plans sought to place bus lanes from east of Gilbert Road to Langney Rise roundabout, which would remove parking spaces from residents and business owners in the ‘Seaside Corridor’.

The plans, which residents of Seaside feared could impact business in the area, did not move forward in their previous design, after East Sussex County Council (ESCC) voted to seek an extension from the government to change the design.

However, Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell has confirmed that revised plans for the new bus lane have taken place with the aim of bringing ‘a more reliable bus service and attract more bus users that bus lanes are designed to achieve.’

She said: “There has been much debate on the prospect of a bus lane down Seaside, with major concerns raised by residents and businesses over the proposed reduction in parking and the subsequent impact on trade that this could bring.

“I have rowed in behind those concerns and these last months, have brought together local people, the bus operator and the project team to see if between us, we could both find a way forward that addressed those concerns and made good on the millions of pounds we secured to reduce congestion, deliver a more reliable bus service and attract more bus users that bus lanes are designed to achieve.”

Mrs Ansell said plans have been revised. She added: “I met again with the team behind the plans. On the back of the consultation and our engagement, they had gone back to the drawing board. They walked me through their revised scheme and I was pleased to see that the new plans have taken on a good number of proposals put forward by local businesses and residents. But, while the hit on parking places is considerably lessened from the first plan, I fear this may not be enough.

“Seaside is one of the busiest bus routes in Sussex, carrying large numbers of passengers and in turn taking a lot of traffic off our roads, so you can see why it’s been so much in focus. It’s also home to many businesses and even more residents. It’s so important to get this right.

“The project team was back in Eastbourne on Friday to get feedback and we’ll go from there.

“This is not the first time a bus lane has been proposed for Seaside and it’s not an easy scheme to design. We’ve certainly all worked hard together on ‘the art of the possible’ but it’ll be a few more months yet before we know what the outcome will be.

“There has been no decision at this stage on if these plans will progress and there will be a full public consultation so everyone will get an opportunity to have their say.

“There will be a number of engagement events in the coming weeks once the plans are ready for sharing. I’ll update once we know when these will be.”