Last week the Lib Dem MP for Lewes, Norman Baker announced his support for the "Willingdon Chord", a stretch of railway track that would bypass Eastbourne. Many of Eastbourne's key figures believe that this will have a damaging effect on the town, not least because the train service for East Sussex's largest town and its 100,000 residents would suffer; however the current MP for Eastbourne, Lib Dem Stephen Lloyd appeared to sidestep the topic, stating that he would prefer a fast train from Eastbourne to London over the Willingdon Chord, but didn't dismiss Mr Baker's plans.
It is my understanding that Mr Baker and Mr Lloyd don't see eye to eye on the upgrading of the notorious stretch of road between Lewes and Polegate - the A27. Many residents of Eastbourne have been campaigning for the upgrading of the A27, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Eastbourne, Caroline Ansell and the Conservative Councillor Patrick Warner have been campaigning for the upgrade of the troubled stretch of road for several years. In fact their campaigning appears to have woken Mr Lloyd from from his slumber over the matter. Mr Lloyd has been gathering signatures on his petition to dual the A27 and even has bumper stickers on offer too!! Meanwhile Mrs Ansell has been speaking directly to the Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin to press for the case to upgrade the road. It is my understanding that Mr Lloyd has been lobbying quietly over the matter...The problem there Mr Lloyd is, if you talk too quietly, nobody will here you.
Call me cynical, but perhaps the looming General Election has something to do with Mr Lloyd's wake up call!!
But, I'm not so sure that Mr Baker agrees with Mr Lloyd, on a recent BBC Sussex radio progamme Mr Baker speculated that the currently unspecified upgrades would cost in excess of £200 million pounds, involve the creation of a separate road running alongside the existing one, increase pollution, damage special countryside and said that instead of wasting money on upgrading the A27, we should follow the example set by his friend and colleague, the MP for Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd who was focusing his attention on job creation through supporting apprenticeships. Mind you without sustainable transport links businesses in Eastbourne will suffer and so would the number of apprenticeship placements.
The only noticeable contributions to the A27 that I have seen from Mr Baker are ridiculous signs notifying you that it only takes 20 minutes from Eastbourne to Lewes on the train. Well that isn't much comfort to anyone stuck in a traffic jam on the road because of an accident and believe it or not, not everyone using the road wants to travel to Lewes!!
East Sussex is a wonderfully rural part of our country and it shouldn't be indiscriminately concreted over, but it shouldn't be left it the past either.
Both road and rail links need to be improved in and around Eastbourne, but these must benefit the residents of the county's largest town too. How many more people have to be seriously injured or killed on the road before something is done? I don't have too much confidence in our current MP's for Lewes and Eastbourne; after all, with friends like Mr Baker, who needs enemies Mr Lloyd?
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