Bus Stop Row Erupts In Old Steine As Street 'Blocked'

A business in Old Steine has complained that a bus stop has been moved next to a loading bay and blocks a small but busy street just off the A23.

The move followed the start of work to change the road layout in the area as part of a project known as Valley Gardens Phase 3 (VG3).

Bus stop H was previously next to the war memorial. It is shown in the latest VG3 newsletter as having been relocated to just south of Pavilion Street.

But, instead, the stop is by the corner of Prince’s Street, almost opposite the old bus stop.

The move is causing frustrations because several buses block access to disabled bays and doctor’s parking in Prince’s Street.

And the director of Brighton Language College International, Gary Farmer, said that the often-blocked loading bay was used for student transport.

Mr Farmer has written to the council. He has been an active member of the Valley Gardens Forum, raising concerns about the new road layouts for six years.

He is concerned that the buses could end up using the area by the loading bay for months at the height of the busy summer season.

He asked whether some of the buses could use an alternative stop, such as the one for the 7, 12 and 18, further around Old Steine to reduce congestion.

Mr Farmer, who has previously stood for election to the council, said:

“The bus stop was supposed to be further along the road, away from the disabled bays / doctor bays / Prince’s Street access / loading bay.

“The information given out to us and the information on the old H bus stop still has the location as further down on Pavilion Parade and not Old Steine.

“The traffic is a nightmare. Someone will get knocked down sooner or later. Nobody has thought this through. It is as if it has been written on the back of a crisp packet.

“We are told one thing and then something else happens. Who thought this would be a good idea? It has only just started and we are all up in arms here.

“The fear is that the loading bay will be a permanent bus stop. We are receiving mixed messages and there is no continuity or acceptable management of the situation.”

Brighton and Hove City Council said that the stop was where it was shown on the map, with the marker in a midpoint for illustrative purposes.

The stop extends up Pavilion Parade, with buses stopping on both sides of Prince’s Street and, the council said, when the loading bay was in use, the buses would stop further back.

Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said:

“These changes are part of major improvements which will transform the heart of the city for the benefit of all as part of the Valley Gardens Phase 3 (VG3) project.

“The current arrangements for this bus stop on the Old Steine are temporary and we included details in our recent VG3 newsletter.

“The temporary bus stop is south of Pavilion Street as shown on the map which is accurate. We have retained the loading bay to the south. It remains in use and businesses continue to use this space.

“There will be some further temporary changes to where buses stop over the coming weeks as work takes place to remove the traffic islands but we aim to keep the number of changes and disruption to a minimum.

“We’ll continue to update residents and businesses using the website, street signs and regular project newsletters about forthcoming works.

“Some short-notice changes may be necessary to allow the works to progress and so we can respond to any issues to keep buses and traffic moving in this busy area.

“We’re working to keep disruption to residents, businesses and bus passengers to a minimum and apologise for any inconvenience during this time as we make these transformational city centre improvements.

“Work is progressing well and there is already much more space and a more direct route for pedestrians in this area while we keep traffic flowing and bus passengers updated.”