Update: Plans for '˜UK's worst placed lampposts' revealed

Cllr Peter Lamb said proposals to widen the path under the bridge in Haslett Avenue East next Three Bridges railway station into a shared pedestrian and cycle use path were being negotiated.

This followed Crawley man Paul Bridges, 58, saying the fixtures could be the worst positioned in the UK.

Mr Bridges, of Pound Hill, said: “It looks ridiculous.

“I’ve lived here all my life and that’s the worst lamppost position that I can even think of.

“It’s very dangerous - especially at rushhour, I’ve seen several people have to step out into the road.”

Mr Bridges said the posts were placed months ago but decided to raise concerns after he saw a woman forced to go into the road.

The three ‘horrible’ green posts had replaced overhead lighting and made the path just a metre wide, said Mr Bridges, who goes past them by car, foot or bicycle almost daily.

“It looks like they’ve always been there and someone’s built a bridge on the top of them,” he said.

“During the rushhour it’s absolute murder down there.

“You get all the commuters coming in, everybody heading towards Three Bridges station in the morning - it’s a narrow path anyway - you can’t get two people across it.”

Cllr Lamb, also WSCC member for Northgate and Three Bridges, said: “I can see why people have problems with the positioning. I certainly, as a railway user, have concerns about it taking so much space but the proposal about increasing footspace and cycling space should help to improve that.”

The borough and county councils and Network Rail were in negotiations over the scheme, which was part of a major revamp at Three Bridges Station, said Cllr Lamb.

He added: “In terms of actually undertaking the work it’s about agreeing who’s going to take project management responsibility and Network Rail agreeing for us to use their land.”

A spokesman for West Sussex County Council (WSCC) said: “Previously there were wall mounted units under the railway bridge.

“Columns were installed to lessen road disruption on maintenance visits and repairs.”

Checks by contractor SSE on Thursday (June 2) showed they ‘still leave enough space’ for pedestrians, said the spokesman, adding: “It is important to note that the reductions in width along the pathway are not continuous.”

The new cycle path would connect to existing routes to East Grinstead and to the west of Crawley via a new path along The Boulevard.

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