34.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
34.2 Ms Jodie Atherton, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to stop the proposed bus lane along Seaside Eastbourne spoke to highlight concerns including congestion, pedestrian safety, air quality and the importance of addressing views of local residents and businesses.
34.3 Mr Tom Nevill, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to support Seaside, Eastbourne Bus Lane spoke to highlight the benefits of bus priority measures including journey times, reliability, sustainable transport and continuation of funding and support for bus service improvements.
DECISIONS
34.4 The Lead Member RESOLVED to:
(1) Note the outcomes of the second public consultation on revised bus priority proposals for Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue;
(2) Advise petitioners that the issues raised by both petitions relating to bus priority proposals for Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue have been reviewed and considered;
(3) Approve the revised Seaside and St Anthony’s bus priority scheme to proceed to detailed design and construction stage in 2025/26; and
(4) Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to approve the final content of the Project Adjustment Request submitted to the Department for Transport.
REASONS
34.5 Following receipt of Government funding to deliver the County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, a package of 7 bus priority schemes were prioritised and put forward for public consultation between July and September 2023 on the basis that they generated the highest benefits for bus users, could generate additional bus passengers and meet the Department for Transport’s delivery timescales. The Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue scheme had the largest proportion of opposing responses, with 70.2% strongly opposing the scheme. Following the Lead Member’s decision in January 2024 for officers to review the Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue bus priority proposals, a revised design was subject to consultation between 15 July and 18 August 2024. The consultation outcomes, as set out in paragraphs 2.9 to 2.13 of the report, highlight that 56% of respondents supported the revised proposals with 37% opposing the revised proposals.
34.6 The outcomes of the traffic modelling demonstrated no determent to general traffic journey times going eastbound in the morning and afternoon peak times. The modelling also demonstrated that with amendments to the proposed scheme, as set out in paragraph 2.17 of the report, there will be no detriment, and a slight betterment, on vehicle journey times travelling westbound in the morning and afternoon peak times. These amendments will be considered as part of the scheme’s detailed design. In response to the previous feedback on the original proposals, 54% of the on-street parking will be retained on Seaside and 57% on St Anthony’s Avenue. This provides a balanced approach to the competing needs for parking, buses and general traffic on the corridor with the delivery of the bus lanes contributing towards achieving the objectives of East Sussex’s LTP4 and BSIP.
34.7 Following the County Council meeting on 8 October 2024, the Chairman referred 2 petitions to the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. The petition in support of the bus lane has 494 signatures and the petition opposing the bus lane has 2,531 signatures. Issues raised by both petitions relating to bus priority proposals for Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue have been reviewed and considered alongside the consultation outcomes as part of the report.