Link road plans hit the fast lane

Three options for routes which controversially focus on the green sweep of the Combe Haven Valley will be revealed by East Sussex County Council in February.

Following the bitter disappointment over the government's failure to give the go ahead for a bypass to the A259 Bexhill Road linking the towns, this time round the aim is to make sure the proposal is a winner.

County council transport experts said this week the new link road could be in place in five years.

Town leaders say a link road is not only needed for transport and regeneration of the area but also as a means of opening up a land in north Bexhill for development to bring new jobs to the area.

But it's going to be a tough job for the design team which has already started on a feasibility study and environmental surveys, examining issues such as wildlife and vegetation, visual impact and archaeology.

A battle with the green lobby over the Combe Haven Valley's designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest seems inevitable.

The road could take a third of the traffic off the Bexhill Road, say county transport experts.

The scheme could cost anything between 26m and 40m and the aim is to get a cash bid into government by July. The government asked the council to investigate the scheme following the South Coast Multi Modal Study recommendation earlier this year.

The route is the big issue. It could start near Sidley shopping centre and it could end on Queensway near the Crowhurst Road junction, but where will it go in between?

The county council design team is working with statutory environmental bodies - the Countryside Agency, English Nature, English Heritage and the Environmental Agency.

That means one stretch of the Combe Valley might be favoured by wildlife groups but given the thumbs down by English Heritage.

Few homes are affected and local landowners are currently receiving letters from the council asking for permission to enter their lands to carry out surveys.

Town MP Greg Barker will press the importance of the link road when he meets transport secretary Tony McNulty at the Department of Transport on Thursday. He said: "I will tell him that it is imperative for Bexhill.

"Not only will it bring better transport links and more industrial and commercial spaces, it will provide space to build houses, thus taking the pressure off the rest of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty land in Rother.

"The county choose the route with the minimal environmental impact and I'm confident that will happen.

Rother District Council leader Graham Gubby said the link road was not just important for transport reasons, but vital for the long-term regeneration of the area. He said: "Of course we will be sympathetic to environmental considerations and go through all the correct channels, but this road really is the cornerstone to the area's future prosperity. It would open up possibilities for housing and commerce in north Bexhill, take pressure of small villages and roads and mean people would not have to travel so far for work. I don't think a 2008 timescale is out of the question."

Councillor Tony Reid, East Sussex County Council cabinet member for transport and environment, said: "We are aware that some people may have concerns about a new link road, particularly its environmental impact on the countryside and townscape. We're listening very carefully to all local views."

Public consultation will start in February when the three routes will be presented at mobile exhibitions in Sidley, Glyne Gap, Crowhurst and Hastings.

After a six week consultation period, feedback will be analysed and a preferred route produced by next summer to present government.

If they decide it should be a major scheme - it must meet transport and regeneration requirements in cost benefit analysis - work could start in three years with construction taking 18 months to two years.