The roundabout which greets thousands of visitors to Brighton every day has been left looking like an “ugly abandoned wasteland” after bushes were cleared to improve visibility, according to residents.
Vegetation was cleared at the end of January to make the roundabout safer for drivers approaching the roundabout – but while the improved visiblity has been welcomed by Patcham councillors, they are concerned that nothing has been put in its place.
Cllrs Geoffrey and Carol Theobald and Lee Wares have now written to Highways England to ask what their plans are to improve its appearance.
Cllr Geoffrey Theobald said: “We fully support the efforts of Highways England to improve safety for drivers at this roundabout, which must be just about the busiest in the city.
“However, we would like to know what their plans are to make this an attractive gateway to our city rather than the ugly abandoned wasteland that it has now become.”
Cllr Wares added: “We are receiving a number of e-mails from local residents about the mess that the roundabout has been left in following the recent vegetation clearance.
“I think it is incumbent upon Highways England and the Council to work together to address these quite legitimate concerns.”
Cllr Carol Theobald, who is also President of the Patcham Horticultural Society, added: “This roundabout is in such a prime location there must be local firms queuing up to sponsor it and get it planted up with some attractive new flowers and low-lying shrubs.
“This roundabout has been neglected for far too long and is well overdue some care and attention.”
A Highways England spokesperson said: “Safety is our top priority so we are happy that the improvements in this area have been recognised. We welcome the opportunity to talk to the council and other interested parties about ways to improve the look of the roundabout.”
Completely unnecessary and probably makes the roundabout more dangerous now as there is no screening of oncoming headlights.
Some years ago this roundabout seemed to be inhabited by a variety of rabbit breeds, I saw New Zealand White and Dutch types there as well as others less easily identifiable. Whether they were dumped by people as unwanted, or escaped from the RSPCA kennels nearby, there were quite a lot of them. The bushes were then used to shield a police car occasionally, presumably ready to pull over speeding drivers or when a known “wanted” driver was in the area. There’s not enough cover to shield anything now, it might as well be concreted over to save on maintenance costs. Whether it makes it safer is a moot point, drivers had to be a bit more careful when they couldn’t see what was coming.
The roundabout at Carden hill/slip to A27 has also been stripped away by the council.
As is the slip road at falmer. Wild life corridors are incredibly important and destroying them like this is unnecessary. It should not need ‘company sponsorship’ to maintain our roundabouts. Very sad state of affairs.
Why not create an area for birds to nest. They can fly & not be run over. http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/gardening/plants-for-birds