Letter to the editor: Yellow lines parking upheaval in Bexhill

There is at present only just enough on street parking to cater for our needs and I believe that at least twenty parking spaces will be lost. This will result in at peak times jostling for places and furthermore the displaced cars parking elsewhere will be displacing other residents and so on in a domino effect.

Those who currently park outside their houses can access their homes with youngsters, elderly/infirm, the weeks shopping and whatever else. When the yellows are in place this facility will go and some walking will be involved; not so pleasant in inclement weather and for less than agile persons.

Many vehicle owners will be compelled to make hard standing on their front gardens to park off road. Those households with more than one vehicle will experience problems even then if their forecourt takes only one vehicle .

Easy parking is a major consideration for many property buyers and lack of this facility will reduce sale prices. It is possible for some home owners to be pushed into negative equity if the loan to value percentage is high.

The reason for the parking ban is to give the cyclists on the new route unrestricted vision to enter Arthur Rd from the new cycleway adjacent to Physiques Gym.

Firstly I doubt that the route will be used over much as it is a tortuous route with many changes of direction along the way and in addition it climbs to Bexhill Hospital on the hill top, hardly a first choice for most cyclists who would much prefer a reasonably straight line and to avoid hills.

ESCC state that the primary route for cyclists is along the seafront. What is proposed is a secondary route, so not the sole means to traverse Bexhill!

Why can the cyclists not do what they do at every other junction they encounter. Look and listen and proceed with caution aware that there could traffic on the road.

On the rare occasions that Arthur Rd. and Downsland Avenue has had no cars parked at the side of the road the the result has been that traffic speeds round the bend which is not cyclist friendly! Having cars parked on both sides of the road, which is normal, acts as a traffic calming measure for the benefit of those on wheels.

Young children from King Offa School regularly cross where the yellow lines are proposed and they should not have to cope with cars travelling at unsafe speeds!

Most of the residents affected by the yellow lines have submitted written objections to ESCC with nothing more than an automated acknowledgement in reply.

Our local councillor but took no action on our behalf as far as I am aware.

I believe that other parts of Bexhill will be subject to yellow lines along the route and I am sure that those residents will be similarly affected and be complaining.

Adjacent to Bexhill Hospital, the junction of Holliers Hill and Chantry Avenue, visitors to the hospital will lose on street parking in addition to local residents.

I feel that this issue is worthy of a public airing to prevent this unnecessary upheaval in our lives. The needs of the transient few dictating the removal of facilities enjoyed by the majority is not democratic and needs to be reappraised so that common sense prevails and individual residents do not have their lives disrupted and made difficult and troublesome for the future.

Peter Gurl

Arthur Road.