With the lockdown air quality has improved. Eastbourne needs better public transport, out of town park and ride and more pedestrianisation. (Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash)
Allows for Eastbourne to be a truly recreational resort and to promote itself as a destination for health and eco tourism.
Reduce pollution for health benefits and climate change
Evidence is accumulating that air pollution contrubutes to deaths from COVI19: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study. Eastbourne needs to reduce levels of road traffic, as a large proportion of local air pollution comes from local petrol/diesel vehicles.
We cannot go back to tolerating levels of air pollution that injure our health. Compared to March 2019 local particulates measured by Clean Air Eastbourne show a drop of 80%. The modal shift needed is being achieved, sadly because of a pandemic. Let's protect as much of this as we can.
Rail infrastructure in the Eastbourne commuting area needs major upgrades. New station at Stone Cross needed (there used to be one in Friday Street). The Willingdon Chord needs reinstating (allows for east-west through trains bypassing Eastbourne, thereby relieving pressure on the poluuted, congested Hampden Park level crossing). Electrification of line tfrom Ore to Ashford would take dirty diesel trains out of service. Reinstatement of Lewes-Uckfield link would open up new line into London.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation