Eastbourne Town Centre Works Finish as Terminus Road Is Pedestrianised

The latest phase of Eastbourne’s town centre works is finished. East Sussex County Council announced on Wednesday 7 October that Phase 2a is complete.

That means two changes people will notice straight away:

• Terminus Road between Bankers’ Corner and Marks & Spencer is now pedestrianised.
• Bolton Road and Langney Road now carry two-way traffic at their lower ends, where they used to be a one-way loop through Terminus Road.

It follows the earlier pedestrianisation of Terminus Road between Grand Parade and Seaside Road, known as Victoria Place, which was Phase 2b. Together the council says the two phases give a safer walking route from the station to the seafront.

What was done

The county council’s release lists the work across the scheme:

• new paving
• new trees and extra planters
• new seating and cycle parking
• upgraded street lighting

Phase 2a was paid for by the Local Growth Fund, Active Travel England and the county council. Victoria Place was paid for by the government’s Levelling Up Fund, which Eastbourne Borough Council secured.

What the councillors said

Cllr Peter Griffiths is the county council’s Lead Member for Transport and Environment. He visited on Tuesday. “These works have been considerable and not without their difficulties,” he said. “I was delighted to see the town centre fully reopened with a new, modern feel.”

He added: “The extent of this scheme has meant there has been inevitable disruption over an extended period of time, but the result is a vastly improved town centre.”

Cllr Colin Swansborough, the borough council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, thanked businesses for their patience. He said the council had supported those hit by the disruption with access to business rate relief.

What it means for you

If you drive into the town centre. Terminus Road is closed to vehicles between Bolton Road and Langney Road. The contractor’s update of 2 October says that closure stays until an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order comes into effect. That order will set the hours vehicles can use the street. No date for it has been published.

If you make deliveries. The same update says signs are going up showing delivery and collection times for the stretch of Terminus Road between Langney Road and Bankers’ Corner. Check the signs before you load.

If you park on Langney Road. Temporary parking enforcement is in place there. Bays are kept for:

• taxis
• disabled drivers
• 20-minute unloading

If you have a blue badge. The traffic order report that went to the county’s Planning Committee in July 2025 set out the parking that goes. About 51 on-street spaces were to be lost, including six blue badge bays. The report planned five 6.6m blue badge bays in Bolton Road and five in Langney Road. It also named one space in Lismore Road and possibly four in Tideswell Road, behind Marks & Spencer. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles cannot use the Beacon’s multi-storey because of its entry height, the report noted, so on-street bays matter most for them.

If you have a question or complaint. The Wednesday drop-in sessions at the site office have ended. Call the East Sussex Highways contact centre on 0345 60 80 193, or email EastbourneImprovements@balfourbeatty.com. The contractor says that address will close once the works are finished.

How long it took

The scheme has been a long time coming. The county council secured Local Growth Fund money for it in 2014, according to the July 2025 report. Phase 1, between the station and Bankers’ Corner, was finished first.

The Phase 2a design was consulted on in 2019 and approved in 2021. Rising building costs then forced the council to cut the scope back. The revised scheme was approved in November and December 2024 and building started in September 2025. The scheme page had expected it to be done by the end of summer 2026.

For the town centre’s other works and closures, see our Eastbourne roadworks and travel page. For where to leave the car now, see parking in Eastbourne.