Lewes to Kingston
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Several meetings have taken place involving Kingston residents and landowners, the local authorities ESCC and Lewes District Council, and Sustrans, to discuss in detail the feasibility of extending the route from the Stanley Turner Ground through to Kingston along a widened footpath and then using farmland, crossing over on to Tom Carr's land at Spring Barn Farm.
Background
Lewes's oldest cycle path runs from Cockshut Road, Southover, under the bypass and emerges on the Kingston Road by the Stanley Turner sports ground. There is a lot of interest among residents of Kingston village and along the Kingston road in completing it as an off-road cycle route as far as Kingston. It has potential to reduce car use as a survey has shown how many families would feel able to let their children cycle into Lewes and Kingston rather than giving them lifts.
Oddly, despite the signs, it has never been officially designated a cycle path and we and the Kingston Road Residents' Association have often had to draw attention to its potholes, flooding under the bypass, several blind corners and cars parking on it when the gates are opened during sports events.
There are discussions under way on extending the route using land at Spring Barn Farm, and also on improving the unsurfaced alternative route to Kingston using the Juggs Road. The big expense would be a crossing of the Kingston Road, but even without that an improvement to the pavements would be helpful for cyclists and pedestrians.
Kingston Road Residents Association is also campaigning for a reduced speed limit for traffic coming into Lewes.
Legal status of the 'cycle path'
This is very complex - parts are the responsibility of ESCC Rights of Way and others Highways. See the following sent by Sophie Coleman in September 2009:
A public footpath (Lewes 4) does pass through the underpass but not along the western section of the track to the sports ground. The footpath leaves Cockshut Road close to the tennis club, passing along the track to the underpass. After the underpass it leaves the track and passes into a field and continues within the fields alongside the Cockshut to Kingston Road. The surfaced track continues from the underpass as a cycle track to the sports ground on the Kingston Road.
Therefore, the Rights of Way team would have dealings with any problems relating to the underpass and the track to the east but not with anything to do with the track to the west of the underpass. As stated in my previous email, this section of the track does appear to be encompassed by the highway extent and so would be the responsibility of the ESCC Highways team.
Contacts: Rights of Way Sophie Coleman, 0345 60 80 193, Highways Peter Walker, 0345 60 80 193
They can be emailed at [first name].[surname]@eastsussex.gov.uk