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£74M TO IMPROVE HASTINGS TRANSPORT LINKS
25 November 2002
A massive £74 million road development programme that
will benefit local communities and businesses in East Sussex has
been announced by Minister for Transport, John Spellar. The package
of developments for the A21 was announced after a review of proposals
from the Hastings & Bexhill Task Force, an alliance of local
and regional organisations led by the South East England Development
Agency (SEEDA), Hastings Borough Council, Rother District Council
and East Sussex County Council.
There will be two major schemes to improve the A21, the only
direct road link between London and the Hastings & Bexhill
area. The schemes now announced will improve traffic all the way
down from Tonbridge to Robertsbridge - removing the bottleneck
that dogs so many of our lives. The Minister announced that the
schemes - which will expand road capacity from Pembury to
Lamberhurst and Flimwell and Robertsbridge stretches of the A21
- are subject to public consultation, which will start shortly.
Construction of the long-awaited Lamberhurst Bypass is also due
to start early next year.
Improvements to transport links are a key element in the Hastings
& Bexhill Task Force's Five Point Plan for the regeneration
of the area. Having seen first hand the transport issues faced
by Hastings on a tour of key sites in the town, the Minister recognised
the vital role that transport enhancements will play in delivering
successful regeneration in Hastings & Bexhill.
Announcing the transport windfall, the Minister said: "I
have witnessed first hand some of the issues facing Hastings'
development, including the very important issue of transport.
I am impressed by the energy, hard work and commitment to partnership
that has gone into the Hastings & Bexhill Task Force's Five
Point Plan and Master Plan proposals. I await with interest the
outcome of the consultation on the Master Plan and the role transport
can play in long term regeneration in Hastings."
Welcoming the Minister's announcement, SEEDA Chief Executive
and Hasting & Bexhill Task Force Chairman, Anthony Dunnett,
said: "I am delighted that the Government has recognised
the crucial role that improving Hastings & Bexhill's
transport links will play in revitalising the whole area and breathing
new life into the local economy."
He continued: "We have been pressing Government for the
past two years to unlock the investment necessary for the regeneration
of the area, and this announcement means that we have cleared
the first hurdle. It should also act as an incentive to the private
sector to increase their own investment in the Hastings &
Bexhill."
The Hastings & Bexhill Master Plan - developed by leading
international architects MBM - proposes some radical new
solutions to the social, economic and environmental challenges
faced by the area. It also takes into account the recommendations
made by the Government's South Coast Multi Modal Study,
which considers all aspects of road and rail transport for the
coastal strip.
An extensive public consultation on the Master Plan, including
presentations, exhibitions and public meetings, is being carried
out to determine local people's views and concerns.
The Master Plan is just one of the tools that the Task Force
is using to create a better infrastructure in and around Hastings
& Bexhill. Working with the Department for Transport, the
Strategic Rail Authority and other transport organisations, the
Task Force aims to initiate significant improvements to both rail
and road connections.
Leader of Hastings Borough Council, Jeremy Birch, said: "We
welcome the Minister's announcement on A21 improvements
and are greatly encouraged by his enthusiasm
for the transport proposals contained in the Five Point Plan,
including the metro service. With the real possibility for improved
rail and road connections north, east and west of Hastings, we
stand a greater chance of making a positive impact on the economic
regeneration of Hastings & Bexhill."
Leader of Rother District Council, Graham Gubby, said: "The
significance of this announcement should not be underestimated.
Transport improvements, both rail and road, the access into and
out of this area, are crucial for the whole regeneration programme.
The Transport Minister's announcement is another step forward,
another contribution to making a big difference to the people
of Hastings and Rother."
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