New scheme improving safety along the Hove Station Corridor

We’re giving people the chance to have their say on work to improve safety along a key route in and out of Hove Railway Station.

Planning is underway for a scheme which would improve the road, pavements and junctions the length of Goldstone Villas, around Station Approach and into the north end of Denmark Villas.

The area features three of our top ten ‘pedestrian crossing priority sites’ – these are assessed on things like casualty data, improving access for people with mobility issues, walkability and access to public transport. 

Among the improvements being planned are:

• New cycle lanes along length of Goldstone Villas between Blatchington Road and Hove Station
• New layout at the junction of Clarendon Villas, Goldstone Villas and Eaton Villas, removing the current mini roundabout, closing motor vehicle access from Goldstone Villas and installing green areas on Clarendon Villas & Eaton Villas to increase biodiversity
• New signalised pedestrian crossing points providing safe movements into/out of Hove Station and east/west across Goldstone Villas.
• Wider pavements on the Blatchington Road / Goldstone Villas junction to reduce crossing distances
• New raised table pedestrian crossing on Denmark Villas
• New ‘Copenhagen Crossing’ on Shirley Street / Goldstone Villas junction

Find out more information about the scheme 

The plans will also be available for viewing and comment at the Hove Town Hall Customer Service Centre between Monday 4 July and Friday 8 July. 

Project Officers will be available between 10am and 4pm each day to answer questions and provide more information.

Consultation on these proposals will take place between Monday 20th June and Friday 15th July. Following the consultation period, the project team will look to revise the designs taking on board the feedback received.

A report outlining the consultation feedback and including the final design proposals will be put forward to the council’s Environment, Transport, and Sustainability Committee in November 2022 for approval. If approval is gained, the scheme would look to be implemented in early 2023.

Councillor Steve Davis, Co-Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee said: “It’s great to see that we’re going to be improving three of our top ten pedestrian crossing priority sites in one scheme.  

“This is a busy and popular route for people getting to and from Hove Station. These improvements will make it a safer and more pleasant journey for the thousands of people who travel through this part of the city.

“I’m especially pleased that we’ll be completely redesigning the Goldstone Villas junction with Clarendon Villas and Eaton Villas. We’ve seen a number of collisions and near misses here and these changes will undoubtable make it safer.”

More information

How will vehicles access Clarendon Villas & Eaton Villas?

As part of these proposals vehicular access will be maintained to Clarendon Villas via Goldstone Street and Sackville Road. Access to Eaton Villas will be maintained via Denmark Villas. Allowance has been made for larger vehicles (namely refuge vehicles) to be able to turn-around at the point closures.

Will there be any loss of parking associated with these designs?

These proposals indicate a loss of two parking spaces across the scheme. Proposed relocation of certain features has allowed parking losses to be kept to a minimum.

Will there be any loss of taxi rank capacity associated with these designs?

No, there will be no loss of taxi rank capacity associated with these designs. Both the taxi rank near the medical centre and the one near the station will retain their current capacity, with the medical centre rank gaining an additional 4m of total rank length.

Where will the ‘7’ bus re-route?

The proposal indicates that the ‘7’ bus will finish its route by continuing to Blatchington Road and then looping via Eaton Gardens, Eaton Villas, and Denmark Villas before returning to Stop H via Blatchington Road. 

Why is the southbound Livingstone Road bus stop being removed?

This bus stop shows very low usage figures year-on-year, as such the proposed removal of this stop aims to improve bus service reliability and timetable consistency.

Why has a cycle lane been included on Goldstone Villas?

Recent cycle count data indicates that this route is used by enough cyclists to warrant the introduction of mandatory cycle lanes as per guidance laid out by the Department for Transport in Local Transport Note 1/20 6.

Will the zebra crossings across Clarendon Villas and Eaton Villas have flashing lights (Belisha Beacons)?

No, guidance says that the flashing beacons can be omitted if the zebra crossing is across a cycle lane.