Controversial plans for two new roads in East Sussex have received crucial support from regional planners.

The regional planning committee of the South-East England Regional Assembly (Seera) agreed yesterday to support the building of bypasses for Hastings and Bexhill.

The recommendation will go before the full assembly on February 14 before it is passed to Environment Secretary John Prescott, who has the final say on whether the roads are built.

But the eastern section of the bypass runs through an area of outstanding natural beauty, a move which would be contrary to Government policy.

The £225 million scheme would see the A259 to the east and west of Hastings enlarged and transformed into a bypass and the A21 to the north of the town enlarged and improved.

Martin Tugwell, Seera's head of regional transport planning, said: "The committee was very conscious of the quite notable environmental impact and also mindful that the bypasses do provide some opportunity to improve the urban environment."

Supporters hope the schemes will take traffic away from Hastings and Bexhill town centres, improving the quality of life for residents.

But disappointed eco-campaigners meet on Saturday to discuss the development and what action they can take.

Brenda Pollack, Friends of the Earth regional campaigns co-ordinator, said: "We think this will be a huge waste of public money and have a negative impact on jobs in the town centre."

But East Sussex County Council transport and environment director Bob Wilkins said: "It is very good news. The voting was very strongly in favour of the scheme with no caveats imposed.

"If it all goes ahead there will be major benefits for the economy of Hastings and the whole of East Sussex. It will help us to really bring Hastings into the economy of the South East instead of being stuck on its own as it is at the moment."

Mark Froud, Director of policy for Sussex Enterprise, said: "In our view the economic arguments for the bypass are unanswerable.

"It will create 4,000 new jobs in one of the most economically-deprived parts of the South-East. Without the bypass these jobs will not come and the future would look bleak for the Hastings economy."