QUESTION 44: Do you agree that London Road - Sackville Road, Bexhill should be targeted for enhancements and, if so, what should be the priorities?

Enforce legal parking. Improve the junction with Beeching Road. Renew footpaths and planting. Get goods (large LP Gas containers etc) off the footpaths). Work with owners to improve maintenance and cleanliness of frontages. 'Town hall 'square' needs a redesign from scratch - maybe a highways expert and a town planner could come up with something. Sainsburys is an eyesore - if it is not rebuilt in needs a good clean. The railway arch junction is crying out for improvement.
Sackville Road - No clarity of where to and from. Needs clear signage - Egerton Park
Bexhill Museum
De La Warr Pavilion
Library

The roundabout at the sea end is a real 'nothing to see here' - suggest a group of 3 or 5 tough pines that will stand the strong and drying breezes, and provide a sense of place.

Wonderful gables and mouldings.

Nice pavement mosaic and lovely stained glass in the C Wells shoe shop - should be known and preserved.

Paint the railway bridge and supporting wall white? - to mark the transition into the town centre.

Some people will not walk through this bridge at night as it is too dark. Perhaps it should be lit?

My son owns property in Sackville Road and we are fond of the area. We wished to point out that the reason that there is "constantly occupied parking" is because people are using it! Any attempt to restrict parking would have an adverse effect on residents, visitors and business owners.
Bexhill is unique in that it is possible to park or free within the town centre. Any change to this would be a retrograde step.

Could the improvements to London/Sackville area be tied together and linked to a seafront & round the shopping streets historical/architectural walk similar to those in Eastbourne - they do seem to attract people. Link showing what I mean :- http://www.visiteastbourne.com/tourism/east-of-pier-trail.aspx

Agreed.
Traffic flow is poor and dangerous at times.
Needs sorting sooner rather than later.

Agree. Quality of shopfronts and improvements to facades of housing.

London Road is already too busy for any additional traffic and car parking is a nightmare. I do not think much can be done to enhance this area. Money and time would be much better spent on improvements to more central shopping sites.

I agree that this area of Bexhill should be drastically improved, both aesthetically and regarding accessibility. The approach to the town from the north along London Road is depressing, but so is joining the Sackville Road roundabout after travelling along the West parade. The overpowering, very shabby De La Warr Heights block of flats on the corner, with retail units below that have never been occupied, is a new eyesore. Also, London Road itself is now congested because it feeds to and from the new link road.

Agree

Agree: route not changed in 150 years, Railway closing losing Sidley Goods yard as a source of distribution transferring to HGV's and personal motor transport still using a primitive roads means a radicle change to bring into 21st century. It is a dismal site, unattractive and no longer fits into a modern developing Town. Reduction of motor vehicles so pedestrians can gain access and traffic that meeds to move can.

Re London Road/Sackville Road.
I make the following comments
Re 13.67 Agree

Re 13.68 What would be the alternative to the hoardings? Certainly not the site of the present construction. Agree with all the following points - as a local resident (north of A259) for over 40 years we have seen the decline in London Road vitality.

Re 13.69 I have always assume that on the eastern side of London Road all properties between Burnside Mew and Chepbourne Road are forecourts. On the western side it is only a variable change of forecourt, "paving" that provides this. The vacant units have, in my experience, increased during the year of Link Road construction and an unknown future.

Re 13.70 A Crossing point across the central "Town hall Square" would be an advantage. It needs to be on the northern and southern roadways.

Re 13.71 Remove hoardings in railway arch. Greater width for pedestrians and no maintenance at these to further restrict footpath. One very long-time (over 43 years) resident/trader, by my observation, daily flouts parking regulations, so has certainly accelerated the decline. Please, what can be done?

Re 13.72 involve the residents/business, for those wish with to take part in a constructive future.

Transport Strategy & Economic Development
BEXHILL Page 128

London Road -Sackville Road Enhancement Area

This area has recently been considered as part of the Bexhill Town Centre Traffic Management study. This highlighted the key importance of this as a shopping area, alongside this being a key access route into the town.

Key issues were highlighted regarding the lack of a footpath under the Sackville Arch, lack of footway space, pedestrian crossings, parking issues, and the need to improve the pedestrian experience within this area.

Therefore the report is recommending improvements to include additional pedestrian crossing points, removal of parking, widen footways in the Town Hall Square area and upgrade bus stops with high access kerbs and new bus stops shelters.

The review of this report will form part of the work as outlined in policy BEX12, and any policy for this area, should be linked to the Bexhill Town Centre Traffic Management study.

Archaeology

Please note that for most answers in this section a Red, Amber or Green rating has been assigned. In providing these responses, regard has been had to paragraph 169 of the NPPF. We are of the view that in order to satisfy this part of the NPPF, some of the proposed site allocations should be subject to archaeological assessment prior to the Pre-Submission version of the DaSA being published - these particular sites are identified below. For all the proposed allocations there will be a requirement for the subsequent planning applications to satisfy paragraph 128 of the NPPF.

BEXHILL Page 128

-London Road -Sackville Road Enhancement Area

We agree that as a "gateway" area this location would benefit from enhancement, including designation of the Edwardian terraces. The Drill Hall should be retained in its current location to form part of the architectural enhancement of this area.
-GREEN

Culture and Tourism

It is agreed that cultural uses should be promoted in Sackville Road. It should be a cultural gateway from seafront to town centre, extending up to London Road as the encouragement of artist workspaces will help to rejuvenate this area of the town. We also note that Devonshire Road is a key route between the railway station and the De La Warr Pavilion and it is unclear therefore as to whether the retail designation is sufficient in expressing the important role this route has for the town.

Furthermore we note that currently the cultural designation definition includes tourism. Arguably the visitor economy designation is a separate (although related) planning priority and there are other areas of the town which might benefit from a Visitor Economy designation? Given the District Council's ambitions to attract some higher end/boutique style hotel bed space to complement the cultural offer of the town, consideration needs to be given to how this can be satisfactorily achieved?