Eastbourne residents launch petition over ‘appalling’ pavements in town

They are lobbying the county council to finance improvements for what they call the “neglected” streets which are in urgent need of repairs.

Spearheading the campaign is Marie Hennelly, who has been calling for improvements ever since she suffered two bad falls. A motion she helped bring to East Sussex County Council appealing for more parking funds to go towards better pavements was rejected earlier this year.

She said, “I had a really bad fall two years ago and broke my wrist. Then last December I had another really bad fall in South Street. My face was so messed up, I lost my wisdom tooth and broke a bone in my knee.

“I was out of action for about six weeks. I thought, I’m going to try and do something about this because everybody moans about the pavements but no one’s getting anywhere.

“It’s a mess! I don’t normally get involved in things like this but if I feel strongly about something I will never give up. The pavements are appalling.”

Another frustrated resident is Jill Peacock, who says she supports Marie’s quest to get the pavements in Eastbourne renovated and made fully fit for purpose.

She has tripped on raised paving slabs three times in Brodrick Road, Darley Road and Ravens Croft. The falls meant visits to A&E for facial stitches, prolonged back and hip pains and loss of confidence due to uneven pavements and tree roots.

The petition claims the elderly and disabled are deterred from using some streets as the risk of injury is “very high”.

It is online at www.inyourarea.co.uk if you sign in with an Eastbourne postcode and enter the ‘community’ section.