Queensway Gateway Road opened but the arguing goes on

The Queensway Gateway Road is at last finished (almost), but the saga goes on. Sea Change Sussex, previously a partner in the project, has launched a campaign of criticism at East Sussex County Council’s handling of the final works. Meanwhile Hastings Borough Council has appointed a new representative to the Sea Change board, after the previous one resigned in 2022. Nick Terdre reports.

The junction linking the Queensway Gateway Road to the A21 by The Ridge was opened on 30 September, almost nine years after the original completion date of November 2016. It is mainly controlled by traffic lights, but traffic coming down the Queensway Gateway Road and wanting to turn left into the A21 can do so when the flow of vehicles on the A21 permits without being subject to traffic light control.

Similarly traffic coming up the A21 from St Leonards can turn left onto the new road without waiting for a green light.

However in view of complaints that motorists coming along the new road are not sufficiently alerted that there are no lights controlling their turn left, a temporary sign has been placed by the approach to tell them so. This will be replaced with a permanent sign, and directional signs will also be installed over the next few weeks, East Sussex County Council told HOT.

Overnight road closures are scheduled from 8pm to 6am between Saturday 25 and Wednesday 29 October and Saturday 1 to Monday 3 November while final construction activities take place, East Sussex Highways has reported.

Flagging up concerns

Meanwhile Sea Change Sussex, which was ESCC’s original project partner but excluded from the final works, has written to all county councillors to “flag up serious safety concerns and construction issues” and to “put the record straight on several matters that affect Sea Change Sussex’s reputation.”

The road was opened “without necessary safety measures,” claims the letter, signed by chief executive John Shaw. These include the lack of signage concerning the left-hand turn into the A21. Why were the required signs not ordered and installed in advance of the road opening? the letter asks.

It also notes that ESCC declined Sea Change’s offer to licence its design for the junction after the former had decided to use Balfour Beatty to implement the final phase, claiming that the county council developed plans based on its design.

Attention is drawn to structural concerns about the embankment built by Sea Change on the side of the road to which, it says, large amounts of material have been added – as it was not designed to take these additional loadings, risks are posed to its long-term stability and structural integrity.

It calls on ESCC to issue a clarification statement on various aspects of its work, including acknowledging that Sea Change’s design included signage to address safety issues.

ESCC response

Asked to comment on Sea Change’s claims, an ESCC spokesperson said: “The layout of the new junction, built in accordance with industry design standards and regulations, has been reviewed and approved by both National Highways and East Sussex County Council’s Highways team.

“In addition to the safety audits undertaken during the design phases, a post implementation safety audit will be carried out now that the junction is operational, which is standard for any project of this nature.”

Accompanying the open letter Sea Change sent councillors a list with 47 questions about the project, covering aspects from planning and funding to the proposed compulsory purchase of Bartlett’s car showroom that did not take place, statutory compliance and value for money. Some of these questions go back to the times when the two sides worked hand-in-glove, including the yo-yoing budget for the road, which went from an initial £15m down to £6m and up again to £10m, partly at the expense of funds allocated to a walking and cycling programme.

After Sea Change successfully argued that it had spent the £10m on building the road from Queensway through to Whitworth Road, the final works were financed by a £2.5m grant from the government.

Concerns about the embankment have also been expressed by a motorist on Next Door, who commented on the “newly constructed bank…you can clearly see that the thin layer of topsoil is being washed away and exposing the yellow clay underneath. Surely this is quite a steep slope and needs to be vegetated? It is standard practice to bind the soil whilst plants are growing, but obviously not here. It is probably too late to remedy the situation and will surely have to be redone. More evidence of poor design and management and another waste of money.”

Back on the board

Meanwhile Hastings Borough Council has moved to re-establish relations with Sea Change which were broken off when its representative Cllr Paul Barnett resigned from the board in 2022, expressing immense frustration that “there [was] still no clarity about the final delivery and completion” of the Queensway Gateway Road scheme.

In December the Green-controlled Cabinet “considered it timely to reinstate representation on the board and an upcoming board meeting will be an opportunity to reengage with the company by having an active director.” This is its financial lead, Cllr Darren Mckenzie, who joined the board in May.

“Our emerging corporate plan will include closer working with key strategic stakeholders and partners with an ambition of renewed regeneration and community wealth building,” the Cabinet motion, which was tabled under special urgency procedures, said. “Reappointing a Director to this board will aid our ambitions in this area as well as providing strategic oversight of this board.”

The decision was approved by Full Council in January. HOT has asked the then council leader Julia Hilton what brought about this change of mind from a party that was previously highly critical of Sea Change but has so far not received a reply.

HBC is the only one of the three councils which helped set up Sea Change’s predecessor Sea Space now involved with the company. Cllr Barnett had been preceded out of the door in 2022 by Rother District Council’s representative, Cllr Keith Dixon, who said, “The lack of progress on key projects and the constant disagreements with the three local authorities mean that, in my opinion, the Company is not achieving its aims.”

Meanwhile Sea Change terminated ESCC’s “membership” of the company earlier this year “because of actions which were having a detrimental impact on the company,” it told HOT.

However it said it was pleased to welcome Cllr Mackenzie to the board in May. “Councillor Mackenzie brings considerable skills and experience to our company and he took part in a highly constructive board meeting last month, in which we reviewed our projects and discussed the future direction of the business.”

 

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