Home Zone repairs'disrupt residents'

John Maule said the work on the Home Zone in Gravits Lane and Ivydale Road had disrupted people's lives.

The work is needed to put right faults which emerged after the scheme was opened in December 2004 as the first of its kind in the county.

A Home Zone is an area in which the roads have been reclaimed for pedestrians.

But patches of the sandy coloured surfacing had deteriorated and were flaking off in hot weather.

Some parts of the Home Zone had also experienced puddles formed by the flatness of the land.

The repairs will see new surfacing laid and drainage strips installed to get the water to flow into the gullies.

Work by contractors on behalf of West Sussex County Council began on April 10 and is set to be finished by May 25.

Mr Maule (60), of Gravits Lane, complained: 'There has been so much disruption around here.

'There has been a big Tarmac machine and two road rollers parked opposite my flat all during the weekend.

'The machines take up the road during the day.

'It would be impossible for the emergency services to get here. The parking spaces around here are occupied as well by the workforce during the days.

'The whole thing is a complete shambles and a nightmare. The fact they are putting in new drainage strips now shows that it should have been done in the beginning.

'To have the surfacing installed a few years ago, and to have it ripped up such a short time later, just to put in drainage, is a complete joke.'

A county council spokesman said: 'The work is being carried out in phases to try and keep disruption to a minimum.

'But a scheme like this does mean there will be some inconvenience and we apologise again for that.

'We have worked closely with the local community throughout this project.'

He added that weekly meetings between the council, its contractors and the Pevensey Orchard Action Group of residents had been taking place during the work to keep people informed.