February 17th, 2026.



Newhaven MP James MacCleary has welcomed the news that East Sussex County Council has included £50,000 in its transport budget for the coming year for a pedestrian safety study on Lewes Road in Newhaven.

MacCleary raised the issue of road safety on Lewes Road with the Prime Minister directly in the House of Commons last year after a little girl was injured in an accident on the road. Fortunately, she recovered from the incident.

James MacCleary explained: “Newhaven residents know that Lewes Road is dangerous. Every morning parents have to cross the road to get their kids to school and there is no safe crossing point.

“I have raised safety concerns directly with the Prime Minister and met with the Roads Minister to discuss more funding for safety improvements.

“It is also a win for residents. After the awful accident on Lewes Road last year involving one of my young constituents, I supported and presented a petition to the County Council with local resident Vera Zakharov asking for a pedestrian crossing and a reduced speed limit on this section of road.

“It is important to stress that this is a study, not a commitment to a new crossing, but it is an important step in the right direction for the road safety campaign in Newhaven.”

Cllr Lesley Boniface added: “I’m pleased the Lewes Road study is going to take place in the next financial year. I’ve been concerned for a number of years about the speed of of traffic on Lewes Road, but have been told many times by ESCC that it doesn’t warrant a crossing or speed limit reduction. I know that a lot of residents will be pleased to know that those concerns are now being taken seriously.”