June 18 2015.

Mayor of Newhaven, Steve Saunders, writes:

The A27 is a long road, which stretches between Portsmouth and Hastings. It will be interesting to see which stretches of it are earmarked for improvement. Arundel, Crossbush, Worthing, Lancing, Lewes, Polegate, Westham, Bexhill and Hastings all need serious attention, so let's see where the money is spent.

Whilst improvements are required locally to improve traffic flow through the Lewes roundabouts at Ashcombe and Southerham in particular, I have explained to Maria Caulfield recently that improvements to the A27 will not make a blind bit of difference to the situation on the A259. It is this road which causes greater issues for the communities along the coast, as they all converge on Newhaven to get access to and from the A27.

Newhaven has become an unbearable bottle-neck for many, particularly in the late afternoon and evening. Along with this, traffic queues stretch back in to Peacehaven eastwards in the morning and Ovingdean westwards in the evening, as drivers negotiate similar bottle-necks at Saltdean and Rottingdean. If the Newhaven Swing Bridge opens during the rush hours, the situation is exacerbated and queues on the C7 (Piddinghoe Road) can back up to Southease.

East Sussex Highways has poured untold millions in to a controversial spur road in Hastings, whilst other urgent problems across the county appear to have been overlooked.


Cllr. Steve Saunders
Newhaven Valley