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Rock A Nore traffic gridlock

Rock A Nore traffic gridlock

Rock A Nore gridlock

Due to the traffic gridlock at Rock A Nore at times of high volume of visitors or residents, Kev Hill has started a petition on Change, to be sent to MP Amber Rudd, highlighting the issue and requesting help from ESCC. Zelly Restorick writes.

Link to the petition: ROCK-A-NORE, HASTINGS, TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK – EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL TO RESOLVE URGENTLY

This issue links with Nick Terdre’s recent report on local sustainable transport, traffic, health, safety, air pollution and alternatives to cars: Joining forces for sustainable transport.

Here are some excerpts from the text of Kev Hill’s petition:

“Whenever the weather is kind enough, many thousands of both tourists and residents head for Hastings seafront and, in particular, the Rock-A-Nore area. Not only does this attractive locale host many small businesses reliant on tourist trade, but also the Jerwood Gallery, stunning beaches, close proximity to the picturesque Old Town – and one of the town’s main car parks.

“Over the past five years, with ever-increasing regularity, this car park rapidly fills to capacity resulting in instant gridlock along Rock A Nore Road from midday onward. This is due to the total absence of any traffic control effectively preventing further vehicles entering the area once the car park is full.

“The problem is exacerbated by the traffic light sequence at the junction of Rock A Nore Road and The Bourne, which allows only a handful of vehicles to exit onto the main road during a given sequence. In recent times, it has taken over three-and-a-half hours of “stop-start” driving to travel the effective ‘loop’ of entering the inevitably full car park only to then have to immediately exit, or at least attempt to!

“Not only is this extremely frustrating for the occupants of vehicles caught in this risible situation (three and a half hours; consider the need for nature breaks, refreshment, animals included), but what message does this send to tourists upon whose custom so many Hastings businesses rely?

“There are other, far more serious, considerations too. Aside from the vast number of visitors visiting the museums, the Jerwood Gallery, the Blue Reef sea-life centre, the funicular railway, or dining in the plethora of restaurants and cafes, there are many more – thousands in high season – simply enjoying the beaches in the vicinity. If there was any form of accident or emergency (consider a heart-attack, a drowning, a fire, even a cliff collapse), then the emergency services would find it nigh on impossible to reach the scene of the emergency with the gridlock that prevails – and all the sirens and flashing blue lights in the world will not make one iota of difference in being able to gain access to the furthest-most point of Rock A Nore.

“This petition therefore is calling on local Hastings MP, Amber Rudd, to properly support the constituents she represents and robustly tackle East Sussex County Council, as soon as possible, to instigate both effective temporary traffic-control measures (stewards, sign-boards etc.) as well as a longer-term remedial solution.”

 

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Posted 07:16 Friday, Apr 28, 2017 In: Home Ground

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