Your letters - September 3

Dangerous A259

CLLR Martin Kenward is right to highlight the high accident rate on the A259. The section between Hastings and Eastbourne is officially the most dangerous road in Sussex.

Out of respect for the families involved, I shall not list them, but over the last 20 years there have been four fatal accidents along the half-mile section between the College Road junction and the Glyne Gap roundabout. A fifth took place just east of the roundabout near the Esso garage.

There have been countless other accidents over the years.

This is not in itself a bypass or link road issue. Although traffic is stationary or slow-moving for much of the day, De La Warr Road is a racetrack in the evenings and during the night when traffic is light.

Residents have to put up with excessive noise, especially from motorcycles travelling at high speed, and cars racing eastwards off the King Offa Way dual carriageway downhill from the Dorset Road lights to Glyne Gap.

The police recognise this and frequently conduct speed checks very late at night, and into the small hours.

I understand that motorists are regularly booked for driving at more than twice the speed limit (30 mph).

The current orthodoxy appears to be against new speed cameras, but the Highways Agency should consider other traffic calming measures, including installing more refuges in the middle of the road and changing the line markings to narrow the lanes.

Richard Madge

College Road

Bexhill-on-Sea

Great Bank Holiday

WHAT a great Bank Holiday in Bexhill.

With the Bexhill 100 and 75th anniversary of the De La Warr I would personally like to thank both organisations for providing two wonderful events, and underpinning the recent Halifax survey of Bexhill being the number one seaside resort.

Cllr Paul Lendon

Buxton Drive

Bexhill

Thanks to the kiosk

MY family went down to the DLWP yesterday to join in the 75th birthday celebrations and we took the opportunity of a long walk along the prom as it was such a lovely afternoon.

Later that evening we discovered my daughter had mislaid her mobile and when we rang it, the lady running the ice cream kiosk by the Sailing Club answered and told us it had been handed in that afternoon! I was amazed the kiosk was still open at 7pm when we picked it up! We would like to thank the lady at the kiosk for looking after it and to the person who handed it in - thank you so much, it is a brand new phone and we are very grateful.

Carolyn Turner and the Turner family

Mitten Road

Bexhill

Delighted with town

We are delighted, but not surprised that Bexhill has the best quality of life compared to the other 124 seaside towns included in the recent Halifax survey. Having recently moved here from the Penzance area, we are in a good position to compare the two seaside towns. Bexhill scores heavily in the areas of health, leisure facilities, town beaches and public transport.

Property prices in Bexhill are lower than in Penzance, and the cost of living here is less. Dining out in Bexhill is cheaper than in Penzance, and the variety of restaurants is greater. Bexhill's climate is much drier and sunnier and the promenade here (even during the renovation works) is vastly superior to the dour one in Penzance. Both towns have a wealth of small, independent shops. These help to give the towns a unique sense of identity; hopefully people will do as much as they can to support them during the coming years of austerity.

Penzance is set within the dramatic landscape of West Penwith, while the countryside around Bexhill is to our mind just as beautiful and more varied, considering the South Downs and Pevensey Levels are situated just to the west, the Romney Marsh to the east, and the High Weald to the north.

When we moved here we thought we would miss the warm openheartedness of the Cornish people, but instead we have found most Bexhill people very friendly. Our main disappointment has been with the number of Bexhill residents who complain about the town and the weather. Perhaps if they spent some time elsewhere in Britain they would appreciate that Bexhill really does offer a very high quality of life.

Steve Gardiner and Barrie Wright

Cooden Drive

Bexhill

Opposed to link road

I HAVE written to both the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and his deputy, Nick Clegg, to say that I was most concerned when I read the article "County fighting for link road approval" (Bexhill Observer, August 13).

I myself objected to the proposed construction of a Hastings-Bexhill link road and read out my reasons at the public inquiry held in November last year.

I feel it is unacceptable if East Sussex County Council and Hastings Borough Council are directly or indirectly bringing pressure to bear on those who are responsible for making the final decision on the link road after the independent inspector has submitted his recommendations to ministers.

Surely further lobbying of MPs at this stage is not admissible? Both councils and members of the public had ample opportunity to present their cases at the public inquiry.