Route 1066? Council’s bid to re-brand A21

But one local council is aiming to re-brand the A21 as the more family-friendly Route 1066 in a bid to appeal to residents and potential visitors to the region.

Hastings Borough Council is behind the proposal to re-brand the whole stretch of road between the capital and coast.

Kevin Boorman, tourism and marketing officer for the authority, said: “We think it would be great for Hastings and Battle.

“It’s about reminding people of the most important date of British history.

“We feel re-branding the A21 as Route 1066 would be great for residents and visitors as well, as tourism is so important to the area.”

The proposal forms part of the Hastings Borough Council Corporate Plan 2014/2015, which sets out targets the authority hopes to achieve.

Informal discussions have already taken place with the A21 Reference Group.

The group is made up of MPs and representatives from county, district and borough councils from across the area spanned by the A21, including Hastings, Rother, Wealden, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.

It is understood that members of the group have largely welcomed the proposal.

But formal discussions have yet to take place with the Department for Transport, which would need to approve the scheme.

Mr Boorman stressed that the scheme is not a proposal to re-name the A21.

He added that the council was hopeful the Route 1066 re-brand will become reality within the next couple of years.

But some have expressed scepticism about the plans.

One resident told the Battle Observer he thought the re-branding was ‘a waste of time and money’.

And on the Rye and Battle Observer Facebook page, Hastings resident Linda Griffin added: “(They) Might want to think how to make it more of a route than a long queue first.”