Campaigners 'continuing to press' for heritage lamp posts to remain in Eastbourne town centre

Last month, East Sussex County Council (ESCC) announced it would replace the cast iron lamp posts with modern lights to ‘improve public safety’.

Following public outcry, the authority agreed to transfer ownership of the heritage lamp posts to Eastbourne Borough Council, saving them from the scrap heap.

An ESCC spokesperson said: “We started discussions with the Eastbourne Society in October about the possibility of gifting them the Barley Sugar lampposts and we are delighted that Eastbourne Borough Council has decided to take ownership and avoid them being scrapped.

“We are unable to retain the lampposts in Terminus Road because they do not comply with modern requirements.

"The work is part of the ongoing improvements in Eastbourne town centre, and the new streetlights will improve public safety and support continued development and accessibility of the town centre.”

However, campaigners – including The Eastbourne Society and councillors David Small and David Tutt – believe there is still hope and are ‘continuing to press’ for the lamp posts to remain in Terminus Road.

Cllr Small said: “While it’s welcome that these lights won’t meet the scrap heap, what residents have consistently pressed for is keeping them in situ on Terminus Road.

"Removing them generates unnecessary costs with no funding or location to reinstall them, and it’s hard to imagine a more suitable location for these heritage lights than our main shopping street."

Richard Crook, trustee for The Eastbourne Society, added: “The Eastbourne Society has had strong support for keeping the heritage barley sugar twist cast iron lamp posts in the shopping precinct in Terminus Road, including the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce, Eastbourne Borough Councillors of all parties and over 450 comments on Facebook.

"These historic lamp posts provide a sense of place and pride in our precinct and compliment the heritage buildings on either side.

"The lamp posts are proposed to be removed and replaced with bland modern steel posts by East Sussex County Council shortly.”

Mr Crook said The Eastbourne Society has proposed giving the barley sugar posts a ‘modern twist’ by painting them in ‘Eastbourne Blue’ and fitting them with brighter lanterns.

He added: “We hope East Sussex County Council will agree to this solution.”