Kemp Town residents are calling for the N7 night bus to be permanently re-routed along Marine Parade when the St James’s Street reopens next month.
The gas works along St James’s Street have slightly over run, and the busy street is now due to reopen on Monday, June 7.
While the works have been taking place, the night buses were first diverted along Madeira Place, to the dismay of residents who were disturbed by it “thundering past” in the early hours.
Following complaints, it was re-routed along the seafront – a change which residents now want to be made permanent.
At a meeeting of the St James’s Street local action team (LAT) on May 12, Kingscliffe Society committee member Trevor Scoble suggested asking Brighton and Hove Buses to permanently re-route the N7 bus, a proposal agreed by the group.
It was felt this would alleviate some of the noise due to people congregating at the bottom of the street in order to catch the bus home.
And subject to passenger feedback, the residents could get their way. Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, told the News: “We are going to do some surveys to determine passenger preferences for the best route to suit their needs.”
During the last week of works, the road will be completely closed to buses because of reconnection work at the junctions with Madeira Place and Dorset Gardens.
It’s also possible there may need to be a mall amount of work at the foot of St James’s Street.
