November 11 2011.


Network Rail has announced plans for upgrading the Tide Mills railway level crossing in early December. The crossing will be closed for just over three days while the work is completed.

Jim Skinner, the Chair of The Friends of Tide Mills and Newhaven East Side and Zena Gibbs, the Chair of Seaford and Newhaven Access Committee responded to the announcement with a joint statement:


After many months of painstaking and often frustrating negotiations, we are very happy to announce that Network Rail has recently sent the following statement relating to the much needed upgrade to Tide Mills Level Crossing;


"Network Rail is now ready to implement phase two of the crossing improvements.

The crossing at Tide Mills will need to be closed from 23.45 on 03/12/2011 until 07.00 on 07/12/2011 inclusive.

During this time, there will be NO access over the User Worked part of the crossing or more significantly, the public footpath part."


Obviously all involved locally in this issue are delighted in this final phase announcement and commitment from Network Rail. From the 7th of December all pedestrian users of the crossing will at long last be able to access Tide Mills in much greater safety than has been the case for many years. We trust that the need for temporary closure of access to Tide Mills via the level crossing will not cause too much inconvenience.

This brings an end to a true community-wide effort to get this crossing upgraded for the benefit of all users and especially wheelchair users.

We would especially like to thank all our local Councils, Newhaven Port and Properties, all who have offered financial assistance and other logistical help and our local MP, Mr Norman Baker, who has been knocking on doors for us in government when it was felt necessary to keep this issue "on the boil".

We also would wish to acknowledge Network Rail who, once convinced of the diverse and increasingly high numbers of visitors to Tide Mills and the inherent hazardous nature of the existing crossing design, put the new design together in a timely way and for taking into account our local input. Obviously we recognised throughout that Tide Mills level crossing is just one of many that Network Rail have issues with and appreciate that in the current economic climate, money for such improvements is stretched to say the least.

We are intending to hold an informal opening celebration at 11.00am on Wednesday the 7th of December.

Thank you,

Jim Skinner - Chair of the Friends of Tide Mills and Newhaven East Side

Zena Gibbs - Chair Seaford and Newhaven Access Committee