The A268 between Beckley, Peasmarsh and Rye will be closed for over a month from June 1 to July 2 in three separate places affecting in particular school children, patients going to and from Rye’s hospital and day centre and the elderly needing services. And even the first stage, which is furthest from Rye near Beckley and likely to cause the least problems, led to motoring chaos on Monday and confusion during the week when diversion signs appeared at the Landgate junction by the railway bridge in Rye apparently directing cars on to the A259 and across the marsh.
“Which road closes next”‘ asks one irritated driver on our Opinion page and Town Councillor Pat Hughes from Rye Community Transport has been quick to take the matter up with East Sussex County Council and its leader Keith Glazier who says the work is being carried out in three stages to minimise disruption:
- June 1-10 between Kitchenour Lane and Mill Lane near Beckley, which suggests probable detours around Broad Oak or Wittersham to avoid the problem
- June 11-17 between Coldharbour Lane and Church Lane on the Rye side of Peasmarsh, which also suggests lengthy detours and
- June 18-July 2 between the junction with Iden Road and the junction with Military Road on the outskirts of Rye, which might be avoided by a detour round Iden
The work will take place on weekdays between 9:30am and 6pm, bus services will inevitably be affected, and Hughes is concerned in particular about the Rye Medical Centre which serves over 3,000 patients and may see up to 100 people a day, and the hospital which has a wide range of services including outpatient clinics, chiropody, physiotherapy and MRI scans. Notices did eventually appear by the railway bridge saying the hospital, medical centre and local businesses were not affected, but no clear information appeared for drivers on precisely where the road was closed and when – and the signs eventually ended up stacked by the side of the road.
Glazier said that public information leaflets had been distributed to all residents and businesses affected, but Hughes said these had only gone out on May 27 – two working days before the roadworks began. And, unless people actually live or work on the A268, it is not clear they have received any information. However Glazier says access will be possible for local residents to their homes and to businesses, as well as to the medical centre and hospital, but the question for many parents, patients and motorists, including the one who sent in his opinion, is “How will I get there?” – and the roadside notices were no help.