Bus lane plans on a key route to a hospital are to be unveiled later this year.

Brighton and Hove City Council wants to make parts of Edward Street and Eastern Road in Brighton a priority area for public transport.

The local authority sees it as a key part of the £420 million scheme to redevelop the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Council chiefs have now confirmed exact details will be revealed before a consultation on the plans takes place before the end of the current financial year.

Councillor Ian Davey, cabinet member for transport and the public realm, said: “The improvements to the bus network will provide better transport links in key areas of the city and encourage more people to leave their cars at home and jump on a bus.

“All of this will help us cut our carbon footprint and realise our aspiration to become the UK's greenest city.”

The improvements to the route between the city centre and the hospital will be partly paid for from a £3.5 million grant from the Department for Transport.

A further £550,000 is provided through a section 106 planning agreement between the local authority and the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Chris Cooke, chairman of the city's LGBT Community Safety Forum, called for pedestrianisation of St James's Street, the main thoroughfare in the area, at the same time.

Mr Cooke, who raised the idea at the city's gay business forum, believes it would reduce antisocial behaviour in the area.

He said: “At the moment the neighbourhood is shabby, and let's be honest about it, it's not quirky or bohemian, it's dirty and uninviting and we need some urgent action to improve the area.

“My initial proposal is short-term and rerouting buses on a weekend. Let's see how this would work before looking at pedestrian priority on a bigger scale.”

However, Coun Davey said such improvement would need the input of the community, adding it was unlikely the council would be able to look into such a scheme in the immediate future.

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