Have your say on town centre

Wider pavements and a more attractive street layout are planned for Bridge Street and High Street.

It is also proposed to allow slow moving buses and some vehicles access to the High Street. Traffic lights would be erected at the Denton Island junction, creating a safe crossing for pedestrians to the town centre.

The work is the second phase to encourage people back into the neglected town centre. However, residents will be hoping it will not cause as much disruption as the first phase which included new traffic lights at the South Way/swing bridge junction.

East Sussex County Council lead cabinet member for transport and environment, Cllr Tony Reid, said: 'The first phase of these ambitious plans to simplify the layout of the swing bridge/ Bridge Street/Riverside junctions is now close to completion.

'It is fair to say that a great many people were inconvenienced by the traffic hold-ups these works created, but the work was necessary to allow this second phase to take place and ultimately for the improvement of the whole of Newhaven Town Centre.

'All of these works are being undertaken following full consultation with residents and businesses, and are taking place against the background of strong community support for an overall package of measures that aims to improve the town centre.

'I would urge as many people as possible to attend the exhibition to see how this second phase of works fits in to the full package for Newhaven.'

The exhibition, which will be staffed by county council officers and consultants, will be held at the Denton Island Training and Business Centre, Newhaven, on April 3 from, 11am-9pm; April 4, 10am-5pm and April 5, 9.30am-noon.

A smaller unstaffed exhibition can be seen at Peacehaven Meridian Centre Library from Thursday, April 3 during normal opening hours until Thursday, April 10. Information will also be available on the county council's website.

Following this latest consultation, work will begin on the second phase later this year or early in 2004.