TRADERS should find out next month if they have won their long-running battle against a controversial pedestrianisation scheme.

A four-day public inquiry finished yesterday into Brighton and Hove Council's scheme in George Street, Hove, which has banned traffic from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday, since March last year.

Inquiry inspector James Coyne is considering whether the current scheme should continue and his report is expected by mid-June.

The council will consider Mr Coyne's advice soon afterwards, although the report will not be legally binding on councillors because the scheme is not strictly a planning issue.

Vitality

Many traders spoke against it during the inquiry at Hove Town Hall, including Potters Menswear director Tony Davis, who said the shop would close next month because trade had been hit.

And Steven Charman, director of Pets Corner, said thescheme was "eroding the vitality and viability of George Street".

He said: "If we can't be guaranteed takings and we keep seeing a slide in trading figures, we will pull out of George Street. We have many other sites that we can look at."

He said big lorries regularly blocked other delivery vehicles before 10am, adding: "Logistically, it's idiocy. It would be easier to deliver to a castle sometimes."

But Labour councillor Simon Battle, whose Vallance ward includes George Street, told the inquiry: "It is inconceivable that a future George Street can be anything other than an attractive pedestrian-only area.

Serious

"More car parking means more traffic movements, higher vehicle emissions and less incentive to use alternative forms of transport."

Coun Battle told the Argus later: "I am confident that the inspector will see that George Street is now a street for people.

"I hope after all this argy-bargy we can sit down with traders, shoppers and local residents to see how we can best invest the £100,000 earmarked for George Street by Brighton and Hove Council this year."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.