East Sussex Highways Robbery
The Independent Hastings Borough Councillor, Andy Batsford, has launched a campaign calling for East Sussex County Council (ESCC) to disclose how it allocates the nearly £1 million in lane rental fees it charges utility companies for road closures across Hastings.
Cllr Batsford, who represents the St Helens ward, uncovered the “staggering figure” through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, submitted to establish precisely how much revenue is generated by roadworks in the town.
Under the current system, utility firms can be charged up to £2,000 per day for occupying road space – a fee intended to encourage faster completion of works and minimise disruption to the public.
Cllr Batsford said he was “shocked” to learn that ESCC has collected £1,469,650 in lane rental income since the scheme began, with £948,100 of that total stemming specifically from works in the Hastings area.
He is now pressing for answers on where the money has gone and whether any portion is being reinvested in the town’s roads and infrastructure. Arguing that residents endure the full impact of closures and blockages with little tangible benefit, he said: “We all know the frustration caused when roads are dug up, traffic lights appear and journeys that should take minutes suddenly take much longer.”
The Councillor is calling on ESCC to publish a transparent breakdown of the income and to confirm whether the funds are ringfenced for local infrastructure. “Hastings residents have to put up with the congestion, delays and disruption caused by roadworks. If nearly £1 million has been generated from those works, they deserve to know where that money has gone,” he added. “You would like to think that money raised from the disruption caused by digging up our roads would be reinvested in improving them.”
Cllr Batsford is specifically urging ESCC to state whether any of the funds will be directed towards repairing the town’s notoriously poor roads and pavements, insisting: “If Hastings is generating the revenue, Hastings residents should see the benefit.”
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