Thousands visit Streets Ahead exhibition

MORE than 2,000 people poured into Lewes Town Hall this week to view the Lewes Streets Ahead exhibition - and the vast majority of them backed plans to make the Cliffe area pedestrian friendly.

They also endorsed plans to achieve a reduction of cars in the Cliffe by building a roundabout at the exit to the Safeway car park to take through-traffic out over the Phoenix Causeway.

The roundabout scheme surfaced a few years ago but was rejected then on the grounds that the bridge would have to be widened.

Thinking since then has changed and the roundabout can be built by cutting into both sides of the road.

Said travel plan officer Brian Devall: 'The exhibition has been a huge success. We had 250 people through in three hours on Tuesday morning.

'And we hope to see a further 1,000 people when we move the exhibition to a marquee in Harveys Yard on Saturday.'

There was also a consensus that on-street parking charges and residents' parking permits in Lewes are an inevitability, although the fine detail has to be agreed.

And there was widespread agreement that management of off-street and on-street parking should come under one body and not, as at present, two.

The construction of a new bicycle lane from Ringmer to Lewes was supported, as was the re-opening of the Lewes to Uckfield railway line.

Plans to reverse traffic flows in School Hill as part of new traffic management in the Eastgate area drew a mixed reception. It is clear that further work will have to be done on the various options.

There was some opposition to reversing traffic flows in Market Street which residents felt would increase traffic noise and pollution.

Said an exhibition spokesman: 'Lewes is a vibrant town and, to keep it that way, all the schemes on show have a common theme to ensure that Lewes remains a pleasant place to live and work in and visit.

'For many people, Phoenix Causeway is the entrance into Lewes.

'However, once they have crossed the river, motorists are funnelled into a complex one-way system which results in an unnecessary circulation of traffic on narrow, unsuitable roads such as Eastgate Street, High Street, Market Street, East Street and Little East Street.

'New visitors especially have problems finding a car park. This can be a frustrating experience where they can find themselves on Western Road or back on Phoenix Causeway heading out of the town before they had a chance to get out of the car and explore Lewes!

'The high volumes of traffic in the town centre, a significant proportion of which doesn't have to be there, make it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to move around and cross streets safely and noise and pollution make the centre of Lewes a less pleasant place for residents, visitors and shoppers than it could be.

'Consultants have produced proposals for a simpler road structure that would allow traffic to get into and out of the town centre and the North Street area more efficiently and without dominating the area.

'The proposals are aimed at minimising the need for motorists to mill around the town centre and at reducing cross-town centre traffic. This will provide an opportunity for improved pedestrian and cycling facilities and contribute to a better quality of environment in the town centre.

'The proposed traffic management changes in the Eastgate area also present an exciting opportunity to try new and innovative approaches to managing Cliffe High Street.

'Consultants have developed ideas for the Cliffe area, which would remove any remaining need or incentive for traffic to enter Cliffe unless it really needs to.'

Tomorrow (Saturday) the exhibition moves to Harveys Yard, off Cliffe High Street. Although Cliffe will not be closed this year, there will be street entertainment. Bus travel in the town that day will be free on services 27 and 27a.