Councillors, the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce and the Eastbourne Society are calling for 13 cast iron "barley sugar" street lights on Terminus Road to be saved, arguing it makes no sense to scrap beautiful heritage ironwork that adds so much to the streetscene when the solution could be as simple as fitting brighter bulbs.
The lamps, located between Bankers Corner and Bolton Road, are due to be removed this week as part of ongoing town centre works. The cast iron columns are based on Victorian originals from Devonshire Park and were installed to reflect Eastbourne's historic character. They are being replaced because they are said not to be bright enough, but questions have been raised about why upgrading the existing columns with modern fittings has not been properly assessed before well-made ironwork is lost for generic replacements.
The issue has prompted a public response, with "Save Our Lamp Posts" signs appearing on every column. Despite repeated requests for a meeting to discuss options and costings, the offer has not been taken up.
Cllr David Small, Eastbourne Borough Councillor, said:
"There is cross-party support for keeping these lights. No one is arguing against well-lit streets, but if the lights are too dim, surely a better and cheaper solution is obvious: just fit brighter, modern fittings to the posts we already have. It feels incredibly wasteful to throw away well-made ironwork for generic replacements that, frankly, are unlikely to last as well. At the very least, proper alternatives should be costed before these lights are lost”
Bob Cookson, retired electrical engineer and adviser to the Eastbourne Society, said:
"There is no technical reason why these columns cannot be fitted with modern fittings that meet current standards. Iron of this quality lasts for centuries. It is disappointing that this option does not appear to have been properly investigated."
Councillors are calling for the lights to be preserved while all options are properly assessed and costed.
