RESIDENTS and parish councillors are stepping up their campaign for action to address congestion on a main road.

A meeting between members and officers from East Sussex County Council, Lewes District Council and Brighton and Hove City Council was held last month to discuss problems affecting drivers on the A259 between Brighton and Newhaven.

But no clear solution was decided during the meeting.

Now residents and Rottingdean parish councillors are to discuss the problems again at the village’s annual meeting tomorrow night.

Councillor Bob Webzell, chairman of the parish council, said: “The parish council continues to be extremely concerned about the traffic problem, particularly given the number of proposed new housing developments in the area, and the seeming lack of due consideration by the local planning authorities of the increased impact that this will have on the road infrastructure.”

Last month’s meeting was held as a result of the A259 Big Petition, which was organised last year by local groups with the support of the parish council.

The parish council wrote to the leader of East sussex County Council Keith Glazier before the meeting to request an invitation to attend, which was refused.

In his response to the request, Rupert Clubb, director of communities, economy and transport, said: “Given the request for the three authorities to work together, at this juncture, I feel it is appropriate that only the local MPs, Maria Caulfield and Lloyd Russell-Moyle, and councillors from Lewes district, East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, supported by senior officers, are in attendance to review and discuss the evidence.”

Cllr Webzell said: “The elected members of Rottingdean Parish Council represent the interests of the local community directly affected by the traffic problem and this snub is both unhelpful and undemocratic and shows that local views are being ignored.”

The parish council commissioned a study in October last year and at peak times the queue from Brighton towards Rottingdean stretched beyond Greenways roundabout past the speed camera towards Roedean.

The annual village meeting, which is open to all, will be held at the Whiteway Centre in Rottingdean tomorrow at 7.30pm.