Street resurfacing got underway on the evening of Tuesday, May 24, with contractors’ equipment working till well past midnight. By Wednesday morning, the job appeared more than half completed, with new tarmacadam laid from the Landgate arch to the start of the paved area near the bottom of Lion Street
For hard worn areas such as the turn into East Street, scraping equipment was deployed to remove several inches of the top surface before re-laying with tarmac. This was the noisiest part of the operation and must have disturbed residents’ slumbers, if they could have got to sleep at all.
A stroll early on Wednesday morning showed what a fine job appeared to have been done in so short a time, by FM Conway Ltd, contractors to East Sussex County Council and based at Sevenoaks, Kent. There is still much left undone, between the George and the top of Market Road and beyond, but some damaged areas may be missed out. It remains to be seen whether Lion Street will receive the attention it needs.
With road traffic the principal beneficiary, pedestrians’ safety has not been addressed, for the pavements remain in hazardous state with trip points every few yards. The number of falls recorded of elderly people in the street during the last twelve months must have reached double figures. This has led to many residents expressing a lack of confidence in negotiating the pavements.
However, the elimination of many potholes in the High Street must be welcomed. Even more welcome to some residents I have spoken to would be the pedestrianisation of the High Street, allowing safer passage than presently available.
