EASTBOURNE traders warn they could lose their busiest trading season as pedestrianisation works in the town centre blight the run-up to Christmas.
Major roadworks on Terminus Road, as part of a large regeneration scheme, have sparked outrage among traders, who say the timing of the scheme, in the critical run-up to Christmas, could devastate their livelihoods.
Works began on Monday 13th October along Terminus Road and are set to continue until 6th December, right through Eastbourne’s busiest retail period.
For Greg Rose, co-owner of the award-winning gift shop Maybugs, the impact has already been dramatic.
He said: “Despite five years of conversations with East Sussex County Council and the BID, highlighting that the worst possible time for the works to take place for us as a Gift Shop was in the Autumn and lead up to the critical Christmas trading period, we have been ignored and failed by them.
“We fully understand that the works need to be done, but why do it at Christmas, when the town will be full of visitors, street markets and events, and when people are coming out to enjoy the festive season with family to do their Christmas shopping? It’s just another example of a council that has no idea about real-life businesses and the effect their decisions have on them.”
According to Greg, the effect was immediate with sales dropping by 50% in the first week alone.
“It’s an absolute disaster for us as a small business. We’re appealing to the local people of Eastbourne to come out and support us and the other independent traders who just can’t absorb this loss like the national chains can,” he added.
Maybugs operates stores in Eastbourne, Bexhill, Hailsham and Tunbridge Wells, employing 17 staff. But Greg says 2025 has been “a nightmare” across all sites.
“Our Bexhill store was shrouded in scaffolding and hidden from view for the whole summer, our Tunbridge Wells store has been flooded six times, and now this. For the first time in eight years, I’m not sure how we can survive if sales continue to be this bad.”
The timing of the works has also drawn sharp criticism from Your Eastbourne BID, which represents town centre businesses.
Luke Johnson, BID Operations Manager, said: “Since the start of the proposals, we have consistently urged East Sussex County Council to take every possible step to minimise disruption and support the businesses and traders affected.
“From the outset, we made clear that construction should avoid the Christmas period — with a break during November and December — and should also be paused during the summer. Despite having years to prepare for these works, it is disappointing that East Sussex County Council did not do so, offering only assurances that work would be suspended in the week before Christmas.”
He added that the BID continues to lobby the council for an emergency parking review to help customers reach affected shops on Langney Road, and encourages any business impacted to attend weekly drop-in sessions held by the highways team every Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm.
In response, an East Sussex County Council spokesperson said the project forms part of a wider regeneration plan designed to ‘create a vibrant and attractive town centre, and bring ‘a welcome boost to the local economy’.
The spokesperson said: “We appreciate the disruption these works are causing and are aware of the concerns raised by local traders. Our contractors are doing everything they can to minimise this as much as possible.
“Our project team and liaison officer continue to work closely with traders to maintain access to all businesses during opening hours, and support deliveries and bin collections. There is also a weekly drop-in where traders can discuss any issues with the team directly. Work will pause for two weeks from mid-December until the New Year.”
But for Greg and other independents, that two-week pause offers little comfort.
“Please come out and support us,” he urged. “We’ve got all our Christmas stock out, thousands of brand-new products and hundreds at their lowest ever prices. When you start your Christmas shopping, if you can just spend a few pounds with us, it all counts and could help us ride this terrible wave.”
