Eastbourne bus lane tree removal plan branded 'ridiculous'
Plans to remove a tree for a bus lane in Eastbourne have been branded ‘ridiculous’.
New bus lanes have been proposed in parts of Eastbourne as part of East Sussex County Council’s (ESCC) government-funded £41.4 million Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
A silver birch tree on the kerb in Station Parade is being considered for removal for the bus lane between Wharf Road and Eastbourne railway station.
Hayley Chester, owner of That Coffee Place in Station Parade, has been protesting against the plans for months.
She said: "There are certain species of trees that are endangered.
"[ESCC] shouldn't be cutting the tree down for a bus lane. It’s ridiculous.”
A notice has now been placed on the tree outside Hayley’s cafe.
It reads: “As part of the East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), the A259 Upperton Road/Station Parade scheme in Eastbourne includes proposals for a new eastbound bus lane on the A259 Station Parade between Wharf Road and the railway station.
“To achieve the necessary carriageway width, while maintaining suitable pavement widths, this silver birch tree is proposed for removal to facilitate the works.”
The notice confirmed replacement tree planting would be provided. However, ESCC said opportunities for planting in the immediate area ‘may be limited’.
“Alternative locations may therefore be considered as part of the wider scheme,” it said.
ESCC said other designs were explored to ‘determine whether the tree could be retained while still meeting the objectives of the scheme’.
These included moving the roundabout, and retention of existing layout. The assessment of both options reportedly found that retaining the tree ‘would compromise safety, reduce the effectiveness of the bus priority measures, or introduce further constraints to the scheme’, according to ESCC.
A consultation is open until Friday, June 26. Visit: https://consultation.eastsussex.gov.uk/economy-transport-environment/bsip-eastbourne-station-tree-consultation/.
A similar consultation has been launched for plans to remove an English elm tree for a bus lane on the A259 Seaside.
ESCC said: “As part of these proposals, a new eastbound bus lane is planned on the A259 Seaside between Windermere Crescent and Seaside Roundabout.
"To achieve the necessary carriageway width, while maintaining suitable pavement widths, one English elm tree has been identified for removal.”
ESCC said it explored two options that would potentially avoid the need to remove the tree. This included the removal of kerbside parking, and half-on/half-off footway parking.
It said these options were ‘considered unacceptable with the loss of parking and reduction in footpath widths which didn't conform with mobility best practice and therefore were not progressed’.
ESCC said as mitigation for the elm tree removal, three new trees are proposed to be planted within the Archery Recreation Ground.