Council overspends by £5m on 'shambles' road project

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) ran £5m over budget on a major road improvement project, according to a report.

The Queensway Gateway Road, which connects the A21 Sedlescombe Road North and Queensway in Hastings, opened in September - nine years later than scheduled.

ESCC said the additional spend was necessary to complete the project.

"We had to undertake a significant scheme redesign, carry out remedial work, divert utilities and deal with difficult ground conditions, all of which were unexpected and not factored into the original budget," said a spokesperson for the local authority.

Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings and Rye, called the scheme a "shambles from start to finish".

"Because East Sussex County Council dragged these works out for so long, they now have £5 million less to spend on filling potholes and repairing our roads," she said.

"How is it fair for residents to pay the price for the council's failure," the Labour politician added.

Residents getting to work or taking their children to school faced repeated disruption, while local businesses lost "millions" due to roadworks and closures, according to Dollimore.

One taxi driver told BBC Radio Sussex earlier he had lost "every single day, nearly two hours" sitting in traffic.

"East Sussex County Council must take full responsibility," said Dollimore, who has called for a independent inquiry into the project.

The local authority and contractors involved "owe it to local taxpayers to explain what went so wrong and how they will ensure lessons are learned", she said.

ESCC has previously apologised, but said local people could now "enjoy the benefits" of the Queensway Gateway road.

The project "is vital in improving traffic flow and transport links between Bexhill and Hastings and unlocking the development potential of more business space for employment," it added.

The ESCC report, which was published on Tuesday, said the local authority had identified savings of £14.3m in 2025/26.

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