Business leaders are celebrating after a link road between two coastal towns was given the go-ahead.

East Sussex County Council has approved a new road between Bexhill and Hastings to relieve pressure on the heavily-congested A259 and create a faster connection between the towns.

Sussex Enterprise, the business support group, has welcomed the decision.

It said the A259 had become congested, unsafe and overused and said a second link road would help regenerate the area.

Director of membership and communication Steven Gauge said businesses had been let down by poor road links.

He said: "There is still a lot of work to be done but at least the wheels are now in motion and we can start moving towards an effective road network for East Sussex."

Research earlier this year revealed problems with the transport infrastructure had cost Sussex businesses £29,000 each in the last year.

Friday June 18, 2004