Eastbourne and South Wealden Walking and Cycling LSTF package

The Eastbourne and South Wealden walking and cycling package will deliver a number of routes and complementary measures that are interdependent and will support an expanding walking and cycling network.

Walking and cycling

The package will focus on enabling walking and cycling for short local journeys, or as part of longer journeys, between residential areas to key trip attractors in Eastbourne and Hailsham and the smaller settlements of Polegate, Willingdon and Stone Cross in the South Wealden area, along with linking to development sites identified in the respective adopted Local Plans coming forward in the near future. These trip attractors include Eastbourne seafront, the town centre and local centres for shopping, rail stations, employment areas, education and health & leisure facilities.

Transport for the Eastbourne/South Wealden strategic growth area

It will build upon the overall approach for transport for the Eastbourne/South Wealden strategic growth area set out in the East Sussex Local Transport Plan 2011 – 2026; the Local Plans for Eastbourne and Wealden and the A22/A27 Eastbourne/South Wealden section of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) which will support the delivery of sustainable economic growth by enabling jobs and homes. This will be achieved by delivering infrastructure which tackles congestion at key pinch points of the strategic and local road network, unlocks development sites and supports access by active travel and contributing to improving local health and wellbeing.

Brief outline of schemes

1. Seafront Cycle Route: Wish Tower to Fishermans Green;
2. Cross Levels Way / Lottbridge Drove & Willingdon Drove;
3. Eastbourne Town Centre to Seafront;
4. Langney to Sovereign Harbour and Sovereign Centre;
5. Vulnerable road users improvement scheme – University area to town centre, station and seafront areas, including in the Meads area;
6. Eastbourne District General Hospital to Town centre;
7. Walking & Cycling Improvements Hailsham – Willingdon – (Cuckoo Trail between Hailsham and Polegate/ Hindlands Development site/ Dittons Road).

Project Update

At the July 2022 Accountability Board meeting the project advised that following a tender process for the works the delivery of the project would require additional time to allow for full delivery. This will extend the completion date from March 2023 to December 2024

£579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

In total the SELEP Growth Deal with Government has brought £579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock. Over the lifetime of the Growth Deal (2015-2021) we aim to deliver 78,000 jobs and 29,000 homes across the SELEP area, with the Deal set to attract a further £960m of investment into the South East over the six year period.

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