Peacehaven crossing petition 'reaches next step' after being handed to East Sussex County Council

Back in May, residents at Neville Lodge, a 31-apartment independent living retirement block, started a petition to ask the council for a pedestrian crossing at Sutton Avenue, to access the South Coast Road and Dell Park.

The petition collected over 350 signatures and was presented by a Lewes District councillor Ciarron Clarkson to East Sussex County councillor Peter Pragnell on Tuesday, December 6.

Councillor Clarkson said: "We have a unique and independent high street in Peacehaven and many of the business owners supported the petition and encouraged their customers to sign it.

"There are lots of individual concerns about the roads in Peacehaven and this campaign has been able to unify many of them. Residents have told me how they feel trapped and unable to access social spaces like shops and parks due to the speed and volume of traffic.

"Today we handed the petition to the Chair of East Sussex County Council Peter Pragnell and I had an opportunity to tell him some of the experiences residents have told me.”

According to the petition, the South Coast Road has very little opportunity in traffic breaks for members of the public to cross over the South Coast Road safely.

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Residents of the independent living block said they would like to access the Dell Park and the Promenade, but believe there is no safe crossing place to do so.

Councillor Clarkson continued: “Councillor Pragnell told me as a former coach driver he is familiar with the area of Sutton Avenue and the South Coast Road. He will also know that in 2022 further “improvements” to traffic flow on the roundabout at the bottom of Sutton Avenue exacerbated this issue.

"The new road layout increased capacity and sped up traffic making crossing even more perilous. Whilst its important steps should be made to reduce traffic jams our priorities should be on reducing the numbers of cars on the road. We can do this by making short walkable journeys as safe as possible. This is not only good for the county’s drivers, it’s good for independent high streets, our health and for the environment."