Car-free streets will be introduced to a famous shopping area in a move hoped to boost business.

Brighton and Hove City Council wants to ban cars and delivery vehicles from some of its streets in the historic Old Town to make things easier for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit The Lanes every year.

But with residents, businesses and other users at odds as to what is best for the city’s economy, a Government inspector was asked to have the final say.

In what has been dubbed a “significant step”, the pedestrianisation plans of some key streets in the area between the seafront and North Laine have now been approved.

However, after town hall officials were told some of the scheme would have limited impact on the environment, revised proposals must be drawn up for half the project.

Green councillor Ian Davey, the council’s lead member for transport, said: “The Government inspector has clearly seen the benefits that the scheme will bring to those who live, visit and work in the Old Town areas of the city.”

But Per-Eric Hawthorne, of Streamline Taxis, one of the objectors, said the inspector had “ripped the guts” out of the proposal.

He added: “It’s just another example of the council trying to rush things through on the cheap without doing the proper research.”

The scheme for the Old Town is the final stage of a three-phase programme to improve walking routes in the area, which started in 2006.


After opinion was split on whether pedestrianisation would work, the council agreed to a £25,000 public inquiry before making a final decision.

Of the seven orders up for debate, three were fully backed by the inspector Ian Jenkins.

In his report, the inspector agreed to shut the north section of Ship Street permanently to traffic and banned lorries from The Lanes after 11am.

He also said closing the middle part of East Street to all traffic between 11am and 7pm each day would help pedestrians and businesses.

However, plans to shut the entire road were rejected after fears that directing traffic down Little East Street would be dangerous.

Proposals to shut Brill’s Lane from 11am to 7pm were rejected as the inspector said that the loss of “low levels” of traffic would not have much impact on the environment.

The same reasoning, as well as fears from the Friends Meeting House in Ship Street, Brighton, that coffins would have to be carried 70 metres from the church to the hearse at funerals, led to the rejection of plans to close a section of Prince Albert Street.

Suggestions that the council had been “undemocratic” in its approach were also thrown out.

A proposal to close Boyce’s Street to through traffic was agreed before the public inquiry.

A final decision will be made by the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee in January, with any changes enforced shortly after.