Old Town residents angry at road repairs

Osborne and Northiam roads were to be resurfaced in August with 12 day closures. Road resurfacing started from the Victoria Drive junction of Northiam Road up to the Cherry Garden Road junction on Osborne Road,

But in Osborne Road, residents say the road has been let in a far worse state than it was originally with paving slabs left broken or cracked making them a trip hazard for pedestrians, the road has been ruined aesthetically and is now a “patchwork” of jointing. The residents also say work was carried out during the night until 3am, disturbing children and adults.

Patricia Bright is leading the protest against East Sussex Highways, which carried out the work. She said, “While Northiam Road has been completely excavated, new foundations laid and resurfacing carried out, Osborne has been left in a disgraceful state. It’s ruined our road and will devalue our properties. The road surface is unevenly covered with a tar and gravel mix which is also creating more traffic noise. It’s the first kind of road surface to suffer in the harsher elements and once winter arrives with heavy rains, ice and possibly snow, will cause problems. Also, because it is a bus route, deterioration will happen faster. We’re extremely angry at this situation. We take pride in our properties and are proud of our neighbourhood.”

A Highways spokesperson said, “We’ve carried out joint protection works in this road which by their nature are patchy in appearance. Jointing works are an essential part of our maintenance routine and protect the road from water damage and extend its life.”