A PETITION has been handed in to East Sussex County Council in an attempt to protect historic buildings in Bexhill Old Town.
As reported in the November edition of Bexhill News, residents are calling for measures to stop heavy vehicles from breaking the weight restrictions, which they say is damaging the area.
The petition, which was started by Old Town resident Sandra Bandirali, has received more than 400 signatories from local concerned residents and supporters of the cause.
Sandra started the campaign online to encourage the authorities to enforce the weight restrictions and stop heavy HGVs using the area. There is currently a 7.5-tonne weight limit in Old Town, but there’s an exemption for vehicles delivering as well as buses.
Councillor Ian Hollidge (Conservative), Member for Bexhill South, and Councillor Charles Clark (Independent), Member for Bexhill East, have handed the petition to East Sussex County Council’s Chairman, Councillor Roy Galley, (pictured above) which calls for changes to be made to the road layout to prevent vehicles over a certain width from using the road.
A report is now expected to be compiled by East Sussex County Council ahead of a Lead Member for Transport meeting towards the middle of the year.
Sandra told Bexhill News: “I very much hope the petition causes ESCC to take action. I would like to see a more immediate response by ESCC rather than waiting until May or June for their report.”
Bexhill Heritage, a local charity, is also concerned about heavy vehicles damaging nearby buildings.
Steve Johnson from the group told Bexhill News: “Too many drivers are ignoring weight restrictions and their shortcut is at the expense of residents’ well-being and peace of mind.
“We have suggested tighter enforcement and a traffic survey on the Sea Road/Buckhurst Road junction to find out more about the routes heavy vehicles are taking and find a solution.”
