Hastings: Cost of long delayed road still unclear

East Sussex County Council leader Keith Glazier said it was his "absolute intention" to finish the road

The final cost of a Hastings road which remains unfinished seven years after its proposed completion date remains unknown, a senior councillor has said.

The Queensway Gateway Road Project was originally due to be completed in November 2016.

East Sussex County Council leader Keith Glazier was challenged on the figure by a member of the public at a council meeting on Tuesday.

He said it was his "absolute intention" to finish the road.

The road will connect Queensway with Sedlescombe Road North or the A21 in northern Hastings/St Leonards.

Project contractor Sea Change said it would improve traffic flow and support long term local job creation.

The only stretch of the road which has yet to be completed is its final connection to the A21, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Additional funding needed

Mr Glazier said the council was looking for "additional funding" to complete the project.

He said it was his "absolute intention to get the Queensway Gateway Road open and functioning".

The project's business case in 2015 put its costs at £15m, with £10m of that total coming from the government's Local Growth Fund.

The road was expected to be finished by November 2016, but was delayed by an unsuccessful judicial review which saw planning consent postponed until January 2016.

Further delays followed, with the majority of the road not being completed until May 2019. 

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