May 3 2013.

Kevin Gordon writes:


A long stretch of the road through Alfriston was recently dug up for road works, but the work was completed ahead of schedule in just five weeks. A cycle path is currently being installed on the C7 Road at Kingston, near Lewes and traffic lights have been installed to allow traffic to flow.

At Seaford, the main road to the seafront at Marine Parade has now been completely closed for three months for a few metres of cycle lane and a fence to be repaired. These road works, designated as High Risk to the community by ESCC, have caused danger to hundreds of motorists and residents each day, as the alternative route crosses the always busy A259. On most days there are just a couple of workers, or no one at all on the site and the road remains closed even though there are no obvious obstructions on the carriageway.  Local residents are so angry that they have been talking about pulling the barriers aside to allow traffic to pass.

I contacted the scheme manager at ESCC to ask three simple questions:

- Why did the road closure need to be so long?

- Why couldn't the road be re-opened when work was not in progress?

- Why were traffic lights not installed?

The answer to these questions was, "I don't know".

I was told that it is the contractors who make these decisions and not the council. As ESCC is committed to using just one contractor, the contractor can apparently call the shots to the detriment of the public.

The ESCC web-site says that the work is due to end on 31st May, but this has been changed as the original date was 29th April.

I hope that our newly elected councillors take note of this appalling state of affairs and how apathetic our county council is when it comes to the needs of the people of Seaford.

Kevin Gordon
Seaford
 
DO YOU HAVE A VIEW? ARE YOU A NEW SEAFORD COUNCILLOR WHO IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING? E-mail news@haven-news.com