More congestion in Rye due to road closure between Sandhurst and Hawkhurst

From: Tony Pape, Church Square, Rye
Rye congestion ENGSUS00120130220134634Rye congestion ENGSUS00120130220134634
Rye congestion ENGSUS00120130220134634

Among many hundreds of others I write to express my extreme concern about the closure of the A268 between Sandhurst and Hawkhurst.

From my own personal view I commute from Rye to Lamberhurst to teach at the school there. Normally I drive from Rye on the A268 through Sandhurst, Hawkhurst and on to Flimwell and onwards on the A21 to Lamberhurst.

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If this closure goes ahead I will have to head out of Rye on the Udimore road (very congested with parked traffic) up to Broad Oak. There, I will have to navigate the very dangerous crossroads on which there will be much extra traffic coming down the diversion from Sandhurst through Northiam.

Then from there the Cripps Corner turning onto Junction Road, all the way down this very fast and dangerous road past the Curlew crossroads up into Hawkhurst.

I shudder to think how much more busy this route will be. It is bound to take longer, cost more in petrol and the sheer stress of coping with the journey.

I feel incredibly sorry for residents in the Sandhurst area who will have to cope with this major diversion:

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Quite apart from this it will undoubtedly have a serious economical impact on the area, particularly at this very busy time of year. I suspect that many visitors to Rye and Camber who normally come off the A21 at Flimwell and come through Hawkhurst and Sandhurst will just not come or will stay on the A 21 and go to Hastings. This will be very detrimental to Hawkhurst and Sandhurst, as well as Rye and Camber:

This is a very ill-conceived and heavy-handed plan and needs urgent reconsideration. I remember that just a few months ago SGN closed off Deadman’s Lane in Rye which is a short cut into the town and avoids congesting the busy A259 around and into the centre. This time no notice was given and the road remained closed for some seven weeks. I hope that common sense will prevail.

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