Eastbourne tourist raises concerns over ’dangerous’ pavement works

A man who is visiting Eastbourne has raised concerns over ‘dangerous’ pavement works which forced him to go onto the road with his mobility scooter.

Mervyn Drage, from Manchester, said he also raised the issue with the town’s Liberal Democrats at their office in Seaside Road.

Mr Drage said, “When I went around the streets of Eastbourne last week, the pavement on both sides of the road are being dug up for fibre optic cables.

“It caused me enormous stress because I had to go on the road and I am thinking about women or men with prams with children in.”

Mr Drage, who noticed the issue in several places including Seaside Road, said he thinks one side of the pavement should always be open.

He said, “I had some difficulties because they do not give the members of the public or someone on a motor scooter enough room to manoeuvre.

“It is not just about me. It is the issue.”

Mr Drage, 65, said he wants to see more space given to the public as there could be an accident.

He added, “It is dangerous, apart from anything else you could have an accident.

“It is downright dangerous. If you have an accident then you could be seriously injured.”

A spokesperson for CityFibre said, “We understand that infrastructure works can cause some disruption, however, we always work to manage this closely with all stakeholders.

“For example, working with our build and local authority partners, we ensure we work to site regulations with agreed permits in place. In addition, we maintain a routine of checks and controls to ensure access routes are available and that high standards of work are delivered throughout the build and endeavour to complete works as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“CityFibre is investing at least £26m to deliver a full fibre network that will futureproof Eastbourne’s digital capabilities for decades to come.

“We are grateful for the continued support we’ve received from the local community and ask that they continue to bear with us while we work to transform the town’s digital infrastructure.”

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said, “The installation of a full fibre network in Eastbourne is a major project by third parties who are entitled to carry out such works, and we are working with these contractors to minimise the disruption to pedestrians and road users.

“The law requires contractors to follow health and safety regulations when carrying out work on the highway and this is a requirement of any permits granted by East Sussex Highways.

“A dedicated network inspector has been put in place for both the Lightning Fibre and CityFibre installation projects and regular site inspections and site safety audits are being conducted.

“Occasionally work is permitted to take place on both sides of the pavement at the same time. Although we have not been made aware of access or safety issues at any of the sites, following the concerns raised, the network inspector will remind the contractors of the requirement to maintain pedestrian access and that a safe walkway with barriers must be provided for pedestrians in the event of work taking place on both sides of the pavement simultaneously.”