Radical traffic plans for town centre

They include a piazza-style make-over for Devonshire Square - removing the parking bays and creating a pedestrian-friendly area - and an extension of the town centre's existing one-way system.

But the already the scheme has angered taxi drivers whose Square cab rank would be moved to adjoining Endwell Road - see page ....

Proposals put together by Rother, the county highways department and Bexhill Regeneration Partnership were given their first public airing at Tuesday's meeting of Bexhill Town Forum.

The meeting, packed as a result, listened with interest. There were questions about the public consultation process and about the proposal to move the bus stop to Endwell Road but no dissenting voices.

A joint town centre transport group has been seeking ways to promote sustainable transport by encouraging more people to walk or use cycles and buses for short journeys and to aid town regeneration.

Julian Thomas, county council team leader for transport strategy, explained ideas that are the product of local consultation and which may be put before the public at a De La Warr Pavilion exhibition in August.

The proposals include:

*St Leonards Road - one-way east-to-west

*Station Road - one-way east-to-west along its entire length, not just the existing Clifford Road-Town Hall Square section

*Buckhurst Road - one-way west-to-east with a pinch-point at the Upper Sea Road junction.

*A pimple roundabout at the Sackville Road/Terminus Road/Buckhurst Place junction

*Traffic-calming measures near the railway station

*Creation of a pavement alongside the station wall in Station Road

*Measures to make the Buckhurst Place zebra crossing safer

There would be a ban on right-hand turns into Devonshire Road and pinch-points in St Leonards Road at the junctions with Sea Road, Wilton Road, Eversley Road and Devonshire Road.

The bus stop and taxi rank in Devonshire Road would be moved round the corner to Endwell Road.

A pinch-point would be created at the junction of Devonshire Road.

These pinch-points, or "build-outs" are designed to make it easier for the elderly and disabled to cross wider junctions.

Extra parking spaces created by making St Leonards Road and Station Road one-way would compensate for lost spaces in Devonshire Square and Endwell Road.

A extended parking ban in Upper Sea Road at its junction with Buckhurst Road would improve visibility at a difficult turning.

Mr Thomas said key aims were to:

*Improve safety for vulnerable road-users - especially pedestrians

*Promote safe routes to local schools

*Provide facilities for cyclists

He emphasised that the proposals would be subject to wide public consultation, would be jointly funded by the county council and Rother and were subject at county level to the "single capital pot" cash bids process.

"We see this as very much a joint authority approach.

"The Devonshire Square ideas are the 'jewel in the crown.'"

Zoe Tweed, of county highways, said the key town needs had been identified through consultation.

"What the group would like to see is the whole of Devonshire Square made a piazza-type development, with quality surfacing, planting and lighting.

"We hope that it would turn into a meeting place for the town centre, where people will meet for coffee."

She emphasised: "It will still have traffic passing through but it will be less dominant so that people can enjoy the square more than they can at the moment."

Mr Thomas told bus enthusiast Paul Lendon, who questioned the bus stop move: "It is very clear that we need to do something about the bus stop in Devonshire Square to improve it.

"It is a sub-standard bus stop. We need one that is not outside public toilets..."