Does the cabinet believe that we have a crisis in the way the highways network, verges, open spaces and trunk roads are managed across East Sussex. I understand that responsibility is split across multiple agencies, teams, districts and county and I think this is a major problem. Travelling around the county is an increasingly miserable and depressing experience. Litter everywhere, discarded road signs and other highway paraphernalia, old bits of vehicle, dangerous trees fallen into carriageway – in summary a complete mess. I understanding limited budgets and health and safety but more joined up approach would save time and money, bringing back in house rather than expensive term contractors would be beneficial and build capacity and there are ways to do this safely. This needs to be done in conjunction with a campaign and proper enforcement.

Our country looks a mess and it’s a very poor advertisement and impression to visitors that East Sussex so depends and also corrosive to the collective wellbeing of its residents. It also doesn’t give the impression that the council is taking the climate change emergency and biodiversity crisis seriously and it’s contradicting the Environment Act and recently published Environmental Improvement Plan.

Time for an ambitious new approach and I don’t want the standard stock and defeatist answer.

Please let us know what plan and actions will be! (15/02/2023)