Hastings: Safety fears over ‘proliferation’ of fast food delivery drivers in pedestrian area

They said drivers ignoring ‘no vehicles’ signs and picking up deliveries from fast food eateries in Queens Road and Wellington Place are a danger to people walking through the shopping centre.

Many readers who commented on the issue on the Hastings Observer’s social media pages said local authorities needed to take action to ensure traffic laws were being enforced before someone gets injured.

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Marie Richardson said some delivery drivers were “driving like idiots and taking up the pavement.” Rod Cornelius added: “Perhaps the town centre should be properly pedestrianised. I counted 13 cars parked in the so-called pedestrian area the other day.” Roy Trunchion said he had once counted 21 cars parked between Caffè Nero and McDonald’s in Hastings town centre.

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Last August, Hastings Borough Council said the businesses concerned should review their collection arrangements and consider whether this was a service they could continue to offer from a pedestrianised town centre location.

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Cllr Judy Rogers, lead councillor for community safety, said at the time: “We have been asking East Sussex County Council to enforce the regulations for a long time. They need to repair and monitor the bollards near the junction with Queens Road to ensure that only essential deliveries are made during the daytime when people are out and about. Many drivers are also ignoring the no entry sign at the top of Wellington Place and this is something the police have the power to stop.”

Council leader Cllr Kim Forward said the county council and Sussex Police needed to see the problem in person “and then sort it out” because the “situation cannot be tolerated any longer”. The Hastings Observer contacted Cllr Forward about the issue last week, but at the time of writing today (February 2) she had not got back for comment.

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Cllr Andy Patmore, Conservative Group Leader at Hastings Borough Council, told the Observer this week: “Back in August last year Labour councillors complained about the bollards not working in the pedestrian area of Queens Road and Wellington Place. The proliferation of cars and vans using the area at the wrong times has led to the town centre becoming less safe. Six months later, what has changed? Nothing has changed and it seems to have got worse. The bollards are still down, cars enter at all times of day.

“This situation seems like a failure for all involved. There are signs which prohibit entry, stopping and use of the road between 10am and 4pm but they are not being enforced. The inaction is leading to the town centre feeling scruffy, with shoppers and café-goers competing with taxis and food delivery services. Although Labour councillors blame the county council and the police, it would seem, with the Town Hall offices only a few hundred yards away, it is the Labour-controlled Hastings Borough Council which has a vested interest to get this sorted.”

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We are currently looking at a number of options to replace the bollards and how access is best managed in the future. The bollards are old and the technology and parts they use is increasingly difficult to maintain and obtain, and we are aware that simply replacing them will not address all of the issues highlighted.

“We are meeting on site shortly with our Hastings Borough Council colleagues, parking team and local councillors to progress this as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are continuing to monitor the area and enforce restrictions where appropriate.”