Skip to main content
Banner image for Huw Merriman

Huw Merriman

Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle

Main navigation

  • Home
  • About Huw Merriman
  • News
  • Campaign Responses
  • Campaigns
  • In Parliament
  • Contact
  • Newsletters
  • Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Roads

  • Tweet
Hurst Green A21 protest
Little Common roundabout
Little Common A259

Bexhill and Battle is connected to the rest of the country by two main trunk road – the A259 (linked to A27) and the A21. Both these roads are managed by Highways England and are almost entirely single carriageway throughout the constituency and the rest of East Sussex. East Sussex has only 11.9km of dual carriageway throughout the whole county. Major road infrastructure improvements are needed in our area if we are to create a safer road network and increase the flow of investment in jobs, businesses and housing in our community.

A21

The A21 is the UK’s most dangerous stretch of road. It is a key trunk road for the constituency linking us to the M25, London and airports. It is managed by Highways England.  It is wholly unacceptable that such a key route it is not a dual-carriage way from start to end. Villages along the A21 such as Hurst Green experience noise, congestion and accidents.

Whilst I welcome the extension of the dual-carriageway between Pembury and Tonbridge that will open this summer, we now need the same investment to be delivered along the whole length of the A21 through Bexhill and Battle and onto Hastings.

As a member of the A21 Reference Group of MPs and local council representatives, I have been actively lobbying the Government and Highways England to continue road improvements south of Tonbridge especially at key pinch points like Hurst Green. I have recently written to key partners including County and District councils South East LEP and Highways England to ask for their views and support in applying to the government’s new Housing Infrastructure Fund. The Fund has been created to support infrastructure projects which deliver much-needed housing.

As major road improvement projects can take a long time to deliver, I am also pressing Highways England to come up with a strategy to make the A21 safer for all road users which can be implemented as soon as possible.

 

A259 (A27)

Last year I attended a meeting with local residents, councillors and Highways England to hear concerns about the increased traffic congestion on the A259 in Little Common. Traffic has increased by 20% during peak times since the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road was opened in December 2015.

Residents told me that traffic is often at a standstill on Barnhorn Road and the increased volume is affecting quality of life in the area.  Housing developments have been approved that will adjoin the A259 in Little Common and residents are worried about the increased volume of cars accessing the trunk road and related safety issues.

Many residents would like to see the former Bexhill by-pass plans to be reconsidered to relieve traffic pressure on this area. I therefore wrote to key local partners and Highways England to establish whether a major by-pass road scheme could be re-considered, and whether the Housing Infrastructure Fund would be a possible source of funding.

The view from key partners was that Little Common would have to accept far higher housing numbers than currently proposed in the Local Plan in order to attract this road infrastructure funding. This is therefore a matter for our local councillors and residents to consider as part of a longer term plan for the area. For the immediate future, I will continue to press Highways England for measures that will improve the safety and traffic management of this road.

The A27 is a key route for the south coast and, as any regular commuter between Bexhill and Brighton will know, the section of road between Polegate and Lewes is congested, slow and prone to accidents. This is bad for the local economy and impacts on the lives of people who live and work in East Sussex. I have therefore joined with neighbouring MP and local representatives in calling the government to help secure funding to create a dual carriageway to alleviate the bottleneck on this part of the South East’s strategic road network.

 

 

Attachments

Attachment Size
Letter to Roads Minister re A21 12 December 2018 215.72 KB
Letter to CEO Highways England 10 December 2018 2.32 MB
Letter from Roads Minister re A213 May 2018 139.65 KB
A21 Briefing from Highways England July 2019 244.88 KB
A21 Update for constituents 810.47 KB

News

""

Huw welcomes rail discounts, calls for transfer of A21 from Highways England

Thursday, 10 January, 2019

In questions to the Transport department, Huw welcomed news that half price rail fares would be extended to 16-17 year olds but encouraged transport ministers to aspire to give young people fully discounted fares in the long-term.

""

Local MP organises protest to call for better road safety at Hurst Green Primary School

Tuesday, 18 December, 2018

Bexhill and Battle MP, Huw Merriman, stood with parents of Hurst Green CE Primary School and local residents last Friday to call for action for better road safety measures and speeding controls outside the school.

Hurst Green village sign

MP organises demonstration to call for urgent action on A21 following Hurst Green accidents

Monday, 10 December, 2018

Bexhill and Battle MP, Huw Merriman, will be joining parents, staff and local residents in a demonstration to call for urgent road safety action at Hurst Green School this Friday (14 December).

""

Transport Select Committee: Huw questions effectiveness of Highways England

Monday, 3 December, 2018

This week the Transport Select Committee launched it's inquiry into the funding and management of local roads.

""

Local MP speaks about parking obstruction

Thursday, 22 November, 2018

Continuing to campaign to stop antisocial parking on kerbs and roads, Huw asked the Minister to use existing powers to bring in a fair but enforceable instant solution. 

Video of the exchange here: https://goo.gl/n8ZbEw 

Local MPs welcome biggest ever single cash injection to improve England's roads

Monday, 19 November, 2018

Local MPs Amber Rudd and Huw Merriman were delighted to see a Budget announcement of a further £420 million of new money being allocated to local highways maintenance, including funding to the local council.

HGA21

MP welcomes new safety proposals for A21 at Hurst Green

Wednesday, 31 October, 2018

Bexhill and Battle MP, Huw Merriman, has cautiously welcomed the latest proposals from Highways England to improve the safety of the A21.

HM Treasury

Local MP Campaigns for East Sussex Infrastructure Improvements

Wednesday, 23 May, 2018

East Sussex MP, Huw Merriman, urged the Chancellor to deliver more investment in East Sussex in the House of Commons today.

bexhillobs

Delivering the case for transport

Friday, 27 April, 2018

This week, I was successful in calling for a Westminster Hall debate on ‘Transport for the South East’. This is the name of a new transport body which has been set up by local authorities and enterprise partnerships spanning 7.5m residents in the south east.

A21

MPs bring local A21 delegation to Parliament to meet Roads Minister

Monday, 19 March, 2018

Local MPs, Amber Rudd and Huw Merriman, welcomed a delegation of 16 local representatives and stakeholders to Parliament to meet Roads Minister, Jesse Norman MP on Wednesday 14 March.

  • Load More

Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle

Footer

  • About RSS
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • About Bexhill and Battle
  • About Huw Merriman
  • Campaign Responses
Promoted and published by Huw Merriman c/o 29-31 Sea Road, Bexhill on Sea, TN40 1EE
Copyright 2021 Huw Merriman MP for Bexhill and Battle. All rights reserved.
Powered by Bluetree