New pedestrian crossing for ‘very busy’ Eastbourne road given thumbs up

On Monday (June 17), East Sussex County Council’s deputy leader Nick Bennett signed off on proposals to install a new toucan crossing on Friday Street, near to the Oak Tree Lane cut through.

The proposals were welcomed by ward councillor Alan Shuttleworth (Lib Dem, Langney), who said residents had been calling for the crossing for ‘a long time’.

He said: “It is a scheme that has been much needed for a long time.  It is a very, very busy road with traffic sometimes travelling beyond the speed limit.

“There are a lot of community facilities on one side of the road and trying to cross for anybody is challenging and obviously for more vulnerable and younger members of the community it has been a bit of a challenge.

“It seems to have taken quite a long time to get to this point but I’m pleased we have got there.”

Friday Street was where five-year-old Andrea Gada stepped in front of a car on her way home from Shinewater Primary School in December 2014. She died shortly afterwards in hospital.

Council officers said the area is already used as an informal crossing for children walking to Shinewater Primary School and was considered to be the best place for road safety.

It had also been overwhelmingly supported by local residents in a local consultation, council officers said.

Officers also confirmed the council intended to begin work on the crossing later in the summer.

The work is expected to see an existing bus stop moved a short distance away in order to improve visibility.