County Council To Take Over Much-Delayed Hastings Road Project

A long-delayed road building project is now set to be completed by East Sussex County Council, the authority’s former contractor has said. 

On Monday (July 1), the regeneration company Sea Change Sussex announced it would not be involved in completing the final stretch of the Queensway Gateway Road, having been informed  of the county council’s intention to use its own highways contractor to finish the long-awaited scheme. 

The road, which is set to connect Queensway with the A21 in Hastings, was originally slated for completion in November 2016, but has been beset by a series of delays at various stages. The only stretch of the road which has yet to be completed is its final connection to the A21.

In a statement on its website, a spokesman for Sea Change said:

“East Sussex County Council, having in March 2024 secured £2.5 million from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to finalise the Queensway Gateway, has now informed us that it will complete the scheme using its own highways contractor.

“Given this, we have asked our contractors to remove their equipment and materials from the site to allow the county council a clear space to finalise the project. We’ve also offered to license to the council the designs we’ve created for modifications to the junction with the A21, to save it from redesigning this from scratch, which would be costly and cause further delays.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the road fully open as soon as possible for the benefit of local road users and the wider community.”

When approached by the LDRS, the county council confirmed its highways contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places would be carrying out the final phase of the project. 

In a statement released on Tuesday (July 20) an East Sussex County Council spokesperson said:

“We are committed to the completion of the Queensway Gateway road and the county council will be working with its highways contractor, Balfour Beatty Living Places to deliver the final phase of the project.

“A £2.5 million investment from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as part of its Levelling Up allocations for the Rother and Hastings areas will enable the completion of the road.  It will help reduce congestion and help towards unlocking the development potential of more business space for employment.

“A delivery programme has been developed for the completion of the project and we will be working to keep local businesses and residents informed as the work progresses.”