East Sussex County Council is giving traders and other businesses on the high street just TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE that they are bringing in plans to place barriers on the south side of the high street.

Barriers will run from Eastgate Street (starting at Natwest Bank) all the way to the lights by Westgate Street (the “bottleneck”) and suspending all on-street parking bays (disabled and loading bays, plus bus stops excepted) on the SOUTH SIDE of the high street (i.e. the side that has the majority of the shops going up School Hill).

While we understand ESCC want to make it easier for people to socially distance because some of the pavements not being wide enough, these plans have been brought in without any initial consultation with the traders and other businesses who are only just reopening after several months lost trade due to the Coronavirus, and whose customers have already found as of the start of July the fees for on-street parking in the town had increased (some had doubled).

The Chamber is having an urgent meeting with Lewes High Street Traders Association to put the case for the retailers and other businesses in the high street whose livelihoods will be severely affected.

We feel especially disappointed with ESCC that they are giving people so little time to report if these plans will impact their businesses.

If you have concerns/observations please contact us by 3pm on Wednesday 22nd July 2020.