CONTROVERSIAL bus gates installed in Valley Gardens are set to be made permanent. 

Brighton and Hove City Council installed the bus gates along Valley Gardens in 2020 with two experimental traffic orders to limit Marlborough Place, St George’s Place, York Place and St Peter’s Place to buses, taxies and bicycles only.

In the first month, from 9 September until 13 October 2020, the council sent out 4,972 warning notices to drivers caught on camera as they passed through the gate in York Place, on the western carriageway at the junction with Trafalgar Street.

Councillors on the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee are asked to make the project permanent when they meet on Tuesday, 16 November.

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A report going before the committee says the order was open for comment for at least six months, with a total of nine comments both for and against the schemes.

Examples of comments objecting to the experimental traffic order criticise the signs and accuse the council of being “money hungry”.

One objection said: “Used complete ambiguous language which isn’t Highway Code legal at all. Signage placed so by the time you are aware or informed you have already been fined! Not acceptable at all.

“Completely unclear and unnecessary it’s just an attempt to create a carless city!

“All these attempts to make the city inaccessible to residents and more so disabled people damn right breaks equality rights for disabled people.”

Another said: “It will be impossible NOT to drive on this section of road for many people.

“You are just money hungry at a time when this country is on its knees financially. Free up the roads more.

“Bring people into Brighton and Hove, not fines for them going in the badly signed posted (Well, there’s no signs).”

Comments listed in the papers as “support” ask about enforcement, how bins are collected, and bus lanes.

The report said: “The majority of the objections appear to be relating to the level of signage for users and not against enforcement to protect the public transport corridor.

“Other objections relate to access of North Laine or displacement of congestion.

“Officers will continue to monitor the traffic movements within Valley Gardens as part of the post scheme implementation.”

In the report, the junctions are described as “simplified” with new signals.

It said: “The scheme allows private vehicles limited access to the public transport corridor.

“Better pedestrian and cycle links are proposed on both highway and greenspace areas.”

Councillors are also asked to back various other traffic orders, including moving the taxi ranks in Gloucester Place and St Peter’s Place to York Place.

The Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee meets at Hove Town Hall from 4pm on Tuesday 16 November.

The meeting is scheduled for webcast on the council website.