Traders affected by the new “red route” along London Road, in Brighton, have challenged a senior councillor on its shortcomings.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s new red routes went live on Monday 15 April, making it illegal for traffic to stop on a stretch of the A23 London Road and Preston Road and on the A270 Lewes Road.
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, who chairs the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee, listened to concerns at a London Road Local Action Team (LAT) meeting on Tuesday (23 April) at the Calvary Evangelical Church, in Viaduct Road.
At the start of the meeting Councillor Muten said that the red routes were coming in to reduce congestion and help traffic flow.
He said that buses along both the A23 and A270 were getting stuck behind parked vehicles blocking the busy main roads.
Richard Grills, 48, owner of café bar Presuming Eds, said that he did not recognise the council’s description of congestion in London Road, the main route north out of the city.
Mr Grills said: “I get deliveries three times a week. They can’t stop outside. There’s three or four tonnes.
“It’s not been thought through. It’s been back-doored. Nothing’s been thought about. Why is it an experiment? It’s not had a public consultation. It’s been sneaky.”
Mr Grills told Councillor Muten that the process felt like a “cash grab” to generate fines.
The council did, however, hold a public consultation from last summer. But Mr Grills and many at the meeting said that they had not received a leaflet about it.
The council said that it sent information about the consultation to 1,475 properties in the London Road area and received 299 responses, with 141 “supportive” and 66 “unsupportive” of the red route.
Kamil Sharobi, 38, owner of Smokemart convenience store, said that fewer people were going down London Road and the businesses were not growing.
Mr Sharobi said: “We carry a lot of heavy products into the shop. We’ve got a loading bay outside Taj which is only a small loading bay. There are about nine businesses along this stretch, with one small loading bay.
“Over the road they have most of the loading bays. The pavement was extended when covid was around. It was supposed to be a trial period then go back to what it was before but that never happened.”
Mr Sharobi had a petition in his shop during the consultation, with more than 1,000 signatures objecting to the proposals. He was frustrated that the petition never reached councillors.
Councillor Muten offered to meet with business owners, including Mr Grills and Mr Sharobi, to see what could be done to help them with their deliveries.
He said: “It’s about setting times, working with business and saying, if you have these delivery times and they don’t work for you, we have peak times where the traffic and buses struggle.
“This is something to work with. I’m not promising (anything). I want to say let’s have a further discussion. This is what the consultation is about.”
Councillor Muten said that it was important to make the red routes work well by allowing traffic, particularly buses, to flow.
An extra loading bay is due to be introduced outside Poundland near to M&B Meats after the business raised concerns about deliveries.
A new loading bay was also recently installed outside McDonald’s, along with a motorcycle parking bay.
But staff members at the meeting said that – at six metres long – the loading bay was half the length of the smallest McDonald’s delivery lorry.
Business owners and residents affected by the new red route can submit feedback by emailing parkingprojects@brighton-hove.gov.uk before Monday 30 September.
It’s noticeable there are no delivery bays anywhere near the bed shop in Lewes Road. How far are the delivery drivers supposed to carry heavy bed frames and mattresses to service this business? Let’s hope they are witholding their business rates to compensate for lost business.
2 bed shops in Lewes road, 1 has a loading bay, the other is on the corner of a road with a loading bay on, they also have a massive area to drive their delivery vehicle on Infront of their shop. So hardly have to walk far, they just can’t block the road anymore so are moaning. Lewes road they got absolutely spot on.
London road, they just need to dig up the bit they filled in where taj is. As for the coffee shop owner in this article, litterly a loading bay opposite his shop. He took a property that is by a busy set of traffic lights so how did he think delivering would happen in the first place.
There was a consolation, everyone got a letter from the council….
Well I think you mean Consultation rather than Consolation ? If predictive text then I sympathise 😊 But yeah – very valid points and one of the more sensible comments here.
Does this no loading restriction operate 24/7? If so I can see why this might cause businesses difficulty. Would it be more appropriate to add some extra “”time sensitive” bays which whilst not ideal, would allow businesses to at least be able to function by scheduling deliveries at non peak times. I can see there are issues in both sides, this really needs head together for some compromise.
Once again Barry, going in half-cocked does not serve your arguments well here. Some improvement points, certainly, but overall, a big improvement to traffic flow.
I live on the outskirts of Brighton but now i do everything i can to avoid going into town abd shop elsewhere! You can’t even stop to pick up a friend or family member you see by a bus stop or by the side of the road in the rain!
That’ll make you popular if its chucking it down!
Cars do not cause snarl ups! Buses do!
You could have cars parked up on both sides of the road and they didn’t cause snarl ups! The road is/was wide enough for buses to get by on both sides of the road!
It’s utter garbage to say it holds up traffic !
This is just another ruse to bleed motorists dry – as per usual!
This road has been a road that has been neglected in favour of Churchill Square for decades and shops will now put up the shutters! They’ve made it impossible for them to trade now and will be the final straw!
But what do the council care?
If traders desert the whole of London Road, they’ll just turn every one of these empty shops into even more bloody student flats!
Maybe that’s their ulterior motive?
Various councils, including the Greens have destroyed Brighton!
That sounds like a plan, student flats all they way up and down en route to the Uni”s, better idea would have been to limit the number of traders on THAT road, or did everyone traders included forget that deliveries would be needed to supply said traders ?? adding to the traffic ??, Traffic solution was necessary, van, taxis and cars “dumped” with flashers on is NOT PARKING. Re council money grabbing,,, ???? would that be presumed illegal “parking” ??? easy,, park it legally instead of dumping it in a bus stop
If it wasn’t for the total disregard for the parking laws when it was double yellow by delivery drivers and customers then this would not have been introduced. People parking on the crossing outside Panmir for example. I live very close to the affected area and I’m all in favour of it. Park legally and walk. What ’emergency ‘ requires lentils or coriander or under the counter tobacco to resolve?
What about blue badge holders that cannot walk far and have limited mobility… Hence the need for a blue badge? There is no where to park other than if you’re lucky enough to get a space down Baker St. But for many, that’s still too far to walk to shops not close by.
Do that’s an argument for better Blue Badge provision. Not a parking free for all.
Blue Badge has a provision for red routes, have you read it?
Oh come on mate. Who hasn’t had a CES (Coriander Emergency Situation) 🤣
You are thai king the mick!
Same as you. I live just outside Brighton and haven’t been there for a long time. I have no need. Kemptown has some good shop, even a real butcher. Favourite greengrocer is up at Falmer and far fresher than supermarkets. Laithwaites sends me great wine and Amazon most of what else I need.
Shame, Brighton was a fine place when I first moved there in the 70s.
Kemptown is Brighton, silly.
Brighton has had it’s day. The place is a complete dump.
It has been destroyed by various councils over the years and they are determined to put the final nail in the coffin with this nonsense. Take your money and spend it elsewhere. In a place that welcomes and encourages you to visit. Seaford is a good example. Free parking all day everyday.
Nothing to do in Seaford. I’d rather go to somewhere like Arundel if I want a quiet getaway.
Brighton needs a big cleanup though, I’ll agree with you on that.
There’s no political will though, too many ultraliberals in office who think graffiti, grime, and junkies everywhere are something to celebrate, but that’s not a problem unique to Brighton, or even the UK.
Lovely to cycle up and down Lewes road now that there aren’t cars parked in the bike lane all the time.
It’s nice to actually feel somewhat safe for once
Agreed Tom, I used to live there when the leaflets were sent out for consultation. I was very excited about the thought of not having to be pushed out between cars because everyone parks in the cycle lanes.
Now live far up london road, but still very happy it passed.
Agreed. The road is now safe to cycle down. The selfishness of a few have caused these changes, so the council had to react.
Please keep and extend the red zones. They work in London and they work here.
Moan moan moan, this is the best thing to happen in this City for years. Simple don’t stop and block the road for your own selfish reasons.
Then there will be no shops, no taxes and then who will pay your benefits Russ?
People can park elswehere and then walk to the shops
Or get the bus – which many people already do
Plenty of evidence shows restrictions have little to no influence on businesses.
Double yellow or red lines require termination bars at the ends to be legally valid. If the lines have gaps along their length, ie a drain then they are no longer legal. If somehow paint was spilled on the termination bars, obscuring them then again they are not enforceable. Looks like Labour are just as business unfriendly as the Greens.
I believe your incorrect there. What your possibly quoting is the old rules under the Road Traffic Act 1994, not the traffic management act 2004.
Now if you can see there is supposed to be restrictions and camera can prove it, a penalty stands.. Please educate ones self.
BS, big style, concils can enforce what they need as long as it’s notified and posted and council approved. YOUR junk leads nowhere,
Probably wasn’t a good idea to treat the cycle lane as private parking for years then was it?
Long time no see Delenda. I agree with you, this was a product of a problem being addressed.
Mark Prior and his chums in the Transport department all need kicking out – they act against the best interests of residents and businesses
The two opposite options used so far don’t work Shops just ignored yellow lines rules til a warden showed up .There would be the same white vans parked in the cycle lane all the time.
But the traders must have a real problem leaving an open shop to move stuff from a van 50 metres away.
So why can’t the red lines be for rush hours or a certain time limit. The technology can cope
Hours of operation? Actually a reasonable argument to make. People do struggle with the concept though, average drive along Edward Street is proof enough with the bus lane.
Well I’ve been using the buses down the Lewes Road for years and, so far, I can’t see that the red route has made one iota of difference to the time of my bus journey…
The pavements however are I’ve noticed still a Mecca for pavement cyclists despite the red route and cycle lanes….
Might be to do with when you travel. When I have to make a morning rush hour trip including Lewes Road it’s shaved about 15 minutes off my time.
I think the red lines on the Lewes Road are great. Stops the vans, vars and taxis parking all day on the cycle lanes and close to the crossing by Kamsons. Accident waiting to happen. To assist traders unloading they could maybe have a window of time in the morning to do this. I’m not a cyclist but illegally parked vehicles forcing them out into traffic in front of buses is ludicrous. I don’t see what people’s problem is. You’re not supposed to park on double yellow lines either but a lot of traders parked outside their shops all day then relatives/friends would turn up . Taxis parked up all the time. They’ve forced this issue on the council with their ignorance and dangerous parking.
+1. Exactly this Describes the difference very accurately. fwiw I’m very very local to this and know the situation in detail from both car driver and pedestrian perspectives.
The Red Routes are still under experimental TTROs (Temporary Traffic Road Orders) so can be appealed for 6 months from instigation until they become permanent.
Meantime all businesses can withhold their Business Rates if their business is not being aided and they are losing business as a result and tell the council they are doing so until the Red Routes are reversed.
https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/TRO/Brighton%20and%20Hove/785-ETRO42024-Red-Routes-Lewes-Rd.pdf
https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/TRO/Brighton%20and%20Hove/786-ETRO52024-Red-Routes-A23.pdf
On what legal oasis the they stop paying their rates bills?
Please cite a proper law and not just some notion you have.
If they took your advice they’ll soon end up in court and a judgement against them and an order to pay.
Declining to pay is not the same as refusing to pay and is a legitimate form of protest. If you pay business rates, you expect your business to be facilitated, not undermined. Once the Red Routes are gone, traders can resume payments.
It’s exactly the the same thing!
But whatever you call it the council will soon start proceedings against any business not paying their rates bills
If a bill is in dispute and you make it clear the reason you are withholding payment is because you dispute the bill and the reason why, you can suspend payment until the dispute is settled. All contracts need to be acceptable to both parties and confer benefits on both parties. Otherwise they are not enforceable. Alternatively traders can log lost earnings since the scheme came in and invoice the council for lost earnings and make it a quid pro quo.
Clutching at straws there Barry
A rates bill is a tax on business property.
It’s not an invoice for services to be provided or that have been provided.
There is no contract involved.
The only dispute you can make against a rates bill is that the ratebable value of the proeprty is incorrect. And you do that via the District Valuer (part of the government).
Are you aware that Business Rates are not set by the Local Authority ? The LA does get a cut. The remainder goes to the UK Treasury
As a cyclist I was glad to see to see the traffic flow smoothly at the bottom of elm grove entering Lewes road. Brilliant! Many years of finding that junction badz for buses, cyclists and in fact car users seem to have a smoother transit!
Good post. I’m not a cyclist but seeing the state of parking in that stretch of Lewes Road clearly explainss the need for action.
I read some of the comments. I would like to to say if you work or live in the the red routes. And you have to call a builder or any trade to do work for you it will now cost you double because of the inconvenience. And most trades will not work in the area in fear of getting a fine in the post.
Or maybe just park round the back or nearest parking / loading bay ?
Who needs shops anyway?
As long as the buses taking the students about run freely and there is ample amazon and deliveroo delivery bays everyone who remains will be happy
This is the future folks.
Would it be a good idea to ban cycles we can then walk o the pavement which is what they’re are for or better make them take a test and make them pay road tax then I woke up
Was there a coherent thought in there?
Road tax doesn’t exist https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41212379
Joseph Grant makes a good point – can all the people who post that the red route makes cycling safer explain why so many cyclist still cycle down the pavement then?
Could they also note that the crossings at the junction of Lewes Road/Elm Grove and Union Road are NOT dual use and they shouldn’t be using them…?
I cycle up and down this area (on the road!) and is boils my piss whenever I see a delivery rider (typically on their illegal ”’ebike”’) or some nitty riding a bike on the pavement. Utter ignorance and stupidity by a few affecting the perception of many. I wish there was stricter enforcement
I help run a scout group in st Martins church hall on Lewes Road. It is now impossible to move equipment in or out of the hall without having to carry it across the road to the small loading bay opposite.