MP declares ‘traffic crisis’ in East Sussex town and calls for ‘urgent and substantial’ intervention

James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat MP for the Lewes constituency, said queuing traffic in the town centre and on the A259 is causing frustration and delays that are affecting local businesses and residents.

He called Newhaven is a key transport hub, with the A259 and A26 meeting in the town, as well as bus routes and a port with ferry crossings to France. He said Newhaven is also one of the main industrial centres for East Sussex, which provides employment space and jobs.

Mr MacCleary said: “Newhaven is a busy town and that is a good thing. It has always been the case that there is congestion during peak times and that was understandable given the major transport routes running through the town. However, now we are facing a traffic crisis in the town as long tailbacks and congestion have become common throughout the day.”

He said this ‘chronic congestion’ restricts business growth in the town and has a negative effect on air quality.

Mr MacCleary continued: “We have worked hard to change the perception of Newhaven and there is so much to be positive about including our new health hub in the town centre, a refurbished Fort opening in February, and new facilities on our seafront and ongoing discussions to regain public access to our sandy West Beach. However, this is all being undermined by the traffic crisis on the A259.

“There isn’t an easy solution, but I recently shared news that the Department of Transport may not even fund the very moderate improvements that were proposed as part of a recent study on the road. I am calling this a crisis as we need to see urgent and substantial intervention to improve the situation before the road just becomes a huge traffic jam putting local firms out of business and polluting our air.

“As a local resident in the town I see it every day and we need a real plan to deal with overloaded roundabouts and the pinch point on the swing bridge. Until we see real proposals to get the traffic moving, it seems understandably absurd for the County Council to be planning to reduce road capacity even further with new bus lanes. I am writing to the new Transport Minister and the County Council to ask for urgent action to fix this crisis.”

Mr MacCleary’s constituency includes Seaford, Polegate, Newhaven and surrounding villages.

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We fully recognise the important role Newhaven plays in the county’s economy and the impact additional traffic can have on the town. Major transport schemes come at a significant cost and we are, therefore, reliant on external funding to support our efforts to improve traffic flow, ease congestion, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality across the county.

“We have carried out projects in recent years which have had a positive impact on Newhaven including the completion Newhaven Port Access Road, an integral part of the Newhaven Enterprise Zone. As well as supporting economic growth, the road also takes heavy freight traffic away from residential roads.

“We have submitted our outline business case for significant improvements to the A259 South Coast Corridor to the Department for Transport and provided additional information. Once we receive approval, we will develop schemes to help ease congestion and support the economy.

“The A259 Newhaven bus priority scheme will improve the reliability of bus services in and around the town, giving residents and visitors access to the highest possible quality bus service that provides an alternative to travelling by car. This will help reduce congestion, reduce carbon emissions, and improve air quality.”