Letter to the editor: Eastbourne transport planning in a muddle
Another proposed residential scheme, in the town centre, depends on residents using cycling, car clubs or buses.
There is no criticism of Oasis, who are developing the site at the Claremont Hotel. However the pre-planning guidance, they got from Eastbourne BC, is similar to the developers for Debenhams, TJ Hughes, the Magistrates Court and the Esperance. The advice is do not provide car parking but have plenty of cycle parking. For the Claremont there is no car parking, 65 flats and more than 80 cycle parking spaces.
The options, the residents will have, include the Eastbourne car club but there are only 2 cars for 110,000 people. Or else, if cycling, then safe cycle routes have been reduced, due to pedestrianisation, and there is no progress on any seafront cycle path. A situation that puts Eastbourne at odds with most other similar towns.
So in terms of these residential schemes, the planners encourage two conflicting strategies. Firstly ‘flood’ developments with cycle parking whilst discouraging ‘active travel’ through removing any safe routes cyclists could use.
Specifically in the case of the Claremont, a possible route down Terminus Road into town, is to be banned and East Sussex County Council propose cyclists use the busy A259 ring road or other indirect roads to get into town.
As the town gets more congested something will have to give.
Paul Humphreys – Chichester Close Willingdon