Questions from County Councillors

Committee report · Full Council · Tue 10 Feb 2026 · East Sussex County Council

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In answer to a question about road conditions affecting bus repairs in Hastings, the Lead Member for Transport and Environment said bus routes already form a key consideration when maintenance schemes are assessed and prioritised, while noting that funding remains extremely challenging. p9

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p9In recent meetings with the bus users’ group in Hastings, a senior Stagecoach employee mentioned that expenditure on repairing damaged bus suspension systems are three times higher at the Hastings depot compared to any other of their depots across the south east due to the appalling state of the roads in Hastings. Taking buses off the road for repairs also affects the reliability of the bus network. I understand funding is tight, but can you give me assurances that bus routes will be prioritised for repairs and resurfacing given how important this method of transport is to Hastings residents? Response by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment Thank you for sharing the concerns raised by Stagecoach regarding the impact of road condition on their fleet in Hastings. From the outset, please be reassured we recognise the importance of a reliable bus network to residents who rely on public transport. We know that some parts of the network in Hastings are under significant pressure, and we fully appreciate that road condition may contribute to increased vehicle maintenance costs and affect service reliability. As part of our asset management approach, bus routes already form a key consideration when we assess and prioritise maintenance schemes. Routes with high usage, including those that serve major bus corridors, are more regularly inspected and form part of our programme for both routine safety repairs, planned resurfacing and winter gritting. However, as you note, funding remains extremely challenging and we must balance needs across the entire county. Within those constraints, I can give assurance that we will continue to prioritise roads that demonstrate the greatest investment return and support essential services such as public transport. We will continue to work closely with Stagecoach and other operators to ensure that areas of concern are flagged promptly and fed into our maintenance planning.

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Other papers for this meeting

Full Council agenda · Committee agenda
Amendment - NoM · Committee report
Appendix 1, Full Council · Committee report
Appendix 1a, Full Council · Committee report
Appendix 2, Full Council · Committee report
Appendix 3, Full Council · Committee report
Appendix 4a, Full Council · Committee report
Item 7 - NoM - Briefing note · Committee report
Minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2025 · Committee report
Notice of Motion - Speed limits in new developments · Committee report
Notice of Motion · Committee report
Full Council minutes · Committee minutes
Questions from members of the public · Committee report
Report of the Cabinet · Committee report
Revised NoM - Speed limits in new developments · Committee report

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