Chez Kay
Andrew Kay is on the road, on the case and on a mission
How good did it make we residents east of the city feel when the new traffic system, ironically called the Peacehaven ‘bus corridor’, failed. From the outset most of us knew that as a concept it was doomed. Narrowing roads, removing bus pull-in lay-bys and inserting traffic signals where perfectly efficient roundabouts existed seemed, to most of us, folly.
“I asked if he lived in Brighton and he admitted that he did not. I was not surprised: if he did live here he would certainly not block yet another east-west passage across the city”
The works themselves should have been sign enough, but on they went, and now we have massive tailbacks at peak hours where previously there were none. Even the head of the local bus company seemed unimpressed when ‘vital’ bus links were cancelled simply because they could not get through.
But it’s all well and good moaning after the event. How many of us bothered to go along and look at the planning proposals? How many, having seen, then voiced their opinions or their concerns? I’ll wager very few.
City planners do have to make public proposals and the fashion is for extensive and often very expensive consultation periods. I recently attended an exhibition where plans for the redevelopment of London Road were unveiled. Well, I work in London Road so it was appropriate that I went. And lo and behold I see that our office block will be demolished, a new giant Tesco will be built and the roads changed.
I asked the road planner to explain the changes and discovered that his proposal would mean that traffic would no longer be able to pass from west to east, from New England Road into Viaduct Road. I was amazed, but not shocked. I asked him if he lived in Brighton and he admitted that he did not. I was not surprised: if he did live here he would certainly not block yet another east-west passage across the city.
If it goes ahead we will be trapped in yet another loop-de-loop process trying to navigate the increasingly rocky waters that are Brighton and Hove’s road system. And if locals cannot fathom them then how in hell are our much-needed tourists and visitors supposed to manage.
Surely it’s time to stop moaning about what has been done and start paying more attention to what is planned for the future. I am sure that developers would be delighted to hear what we really think – en masse. Pens and papers out please: start writing.
