Bank Holiday weekend of 'bedlam' in Madeira Drive, Brighton

Thousands of sun-seekers flocked to Brighton over the bank holiday weekend to enjoy glorious weather.

On Friday morning, city council transport chief Amy Heley cut the ribbon on a newly finished cycle lane on Madeira Drive.

The grand opening was the culmination of efforts to build a protected two-way cycle lane on the south side of the carriageway, one of a number of changes to the road.

The grand opening of the new, green lane on Friday morning

Cars can now travel eastbound only along Madeira Drive until the Duke’s Mound junction. They can use the parking spaces next to the Madeira Terrace fence.

The changes came as millions took advantage of the sunshine as the country braced itself for the hottest day of the year so far.

At noon on Saturday, residents reported Madeira Drive at a standstill, with queues stretching beyond Brighton Palace Pier up to St Peter’s Church.

The queue of cars along Madeira Drive - a tent on the crumbling, Grade-II listed Madeira Terrace is also pictured

Drivers said they faced queues of between 30 and 40 minutes over both Saturday and Sunday, with Marine Parade, directly above the road, facing similar gridlock at times.

There were huge queues of cars at a standstill. One driver who posted pictures online described it as “bedlam”.

“Tourists are stuck in cars with children,” one resident said.

The queue of cars along Madeira Drive

“No way out, no turning around here, let’s hope we do not need the emergency services, a great welcome to Brighton.”

As many people made a beeline to Brighton to soak up the sun, three giant camper vans parked in Madeira Drive’s disabled bays.

Angry residents posted pictures online. One said: “Why do some drivers think it is OK to take up two or three disabled bays with their camper vans?

“It’s so annoying when you genuinely need to use a disabled bay and they are all taken up by vans being used as holiday bases.”

At about 2pm on Saturday a “cycle swarm” descended on Madeira Drive.

The Drum And Bass On The Bike 4 event saw dozens of cyclists ride along the new green cycle lane to music, encouraging the gridlocked cars to honk in support.

Cycle swarm on Madeira Drive (Dom Whiting Facebook)

The new cycleway is the replacement for the old lane on the pavement.

This is yet to be removed and many people continue to use it.

On Sunday morning, a car was seen driving into the cycle lane to get around a bin truck outside Madeira Cafe.

Car drives in cycle lane to overtake a bin lorry

Motorbikes were parked across the dropped pavement for the pedestrian crossing in the same area.

Motorbikes were parked at the pedestrian crossing

A video was posted which showed an Aston Martin revving past a cyclist.

“No chance of stopping if someone had stepped out from behind the parked cars or if a kid on a bike had veered off the cycle path,” the person who filmed it said.

On Sunday afternoon, fire engines and ambulances were called to a medical incident on the beach off the far eastern end of Madeira Terrace.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said it was called to help the South East Coast Ambulance Service at 6.43pm.

No further details are known about the incident as the ambulance service was not available for comment.

Ambulances parked up while dealing with a medical incident

Fire trucks and ambulances reportedly had to navigate a sea of cars and cyclists to reach the scene.

Beachgoers reported that illegal parking near Yellowave made it more difficult for the emergency services.

The coach struggled to turn up Duke's Mound

As ambulance crews dealt with the incident, a coach driver struggled to turn his vehicle up Duke’s Mound.

Queues of cars could be seen extending in both directions as the coach attempted to turn up the hill.

Cyclists were pictured heading along the no-entry route to Madeira Drive at the Duke’s Mound junction.

Cyclists heading into the 'no entry' route

On Monday an Argus reporter got stuck in traffic on his way to cover a story on the beach.

Pictures from Marine Parade at the time showed cars queueing up to Royal Crescent.

The queue of cars along Marine Parade

Robert Nemeth, Conservative transport spokesman on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “The usual theme for bank holidays in Brighton and Hove is the council forgetting to check the diary and not planning for bins, toilets, pavement-cleaning, grass-cutting, graffiti removal and the like.

“This time, we’ve seen the Green and Labour coalition actively taking steps to cause major disruption on Madeira Drive and the seafront generally. Whilst there are some positives, the overall result is one of pollution, congestion, chaos and discrimination towards vulnerable groups.”

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Green leader of the council said: "We're thrilled that visitors were this weekend treated to cleaner beaches and blissful weather.

"As the Brighton Festival ends and the Brighton Fringe began, there was so much to enjoy in Brighton and Hove this bank holiday.

"As people avoid travelling abroad this year, more visitors will be coming to Brighton and Hove this summer, which is why we've put further funding into managing their return. 

“We want the city to be successful and this is why we are tidying up the city to give the warmest welcome to visitors.

"This includes more bins, increased collections and additional toilet facilities on the seafront.

READ MORE: Green Party responds after protest outside Hove Town Hall

"This week we have also removed 1.3 tonnes of rubbish from the A27 and begun painting seafront railings and shelters.

"This coming week we will be celebrating the Great British Spring Clean with a variety of clean up events, including a further deep clean of the city in areas of Hove and Portslade.

"It's no surprise then that the city has just been rated as a top tourist hotspot by Travelodge, as reported in The Argus this weekend.

"We are working hard to welcome visitors back with a safe re-opening and tidying up the city so we can stay ahead of the game."