ANGRY business leaders and taxi drivers have questioned designs for the overhaul of city centre roads, calling changes “utter madness”.

Members of the Valley Gardens Forum, which represents residents and businesses in Brighton’s Old Steine area, criticised the third phase of the scheme to change the road layout from St Peter’s Church to the seafront.

The third phase is aimed at revamping the southern end of the road, including the area in front of the Palace Pier.

During a marathon public question time session at Brighton and Hove City Council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, they pressed for answers to their concerns.

The controversial changes to the road layout for the £8 million project include replacing the Aquarium roundabout in front of the pier with a T-junction and making Madeira Drive one way at its western end.

Traffic heading north and south along the A23 would all use the eastern side of Old Steine and the current bus stops on the western side would form part of a pedestrian area.

GMB union representative Andy Peters, from Streamline Taxis, said he was speaking on behalf of the taxi trade. He asked about the implications of T-junction which would mean drivers no longer being able to turn back at the Aquarium roundabout. Mr Peters said he had demonstrated the problem to committee chairwoman Gill Mitchell and senior council officer Nick Hibberd.

Cllr Mitchell said the issue would be considered when the detailed design of the scheme was drawn up and finalised.

Mr Peters also asked about the accident rate at the roundabout, which was given as a reason for the changes to the junction.

He said there were about 50,000 traffic movements a day at the junction and there had been one fatal accident.

In response Cllr Mitchell said the junction had the highest number of injury accidents in Brighton and Hove and that traffic lights would make it safer.

Brighton Language School director Gary Farmer asked how a two-lane pinch-point in Old Steine could become a five-lane north and south bottleneck with a pedestrian area.

Cllr Mitchell said the area had been designed many years ago and the changes would be “supported by more modern features” and include technically advanced traffic signals.

Mr Farmer said: “There is no way on earth that the width of two lanes can fit into five. I am more than happy to stand there or lay down in the road. It is madness.”

He also spoke on behalf of colleague Nic Roe who asked how removing three metres of paving around the junction of St James’s Street to fit in five lanes of traffic would create a safe environment for pedestrians.

Cllr Mitchell said changes to the position of a pedestrian crossing would change the way people moved around the area and make it safer.

Palace Pier finance director David Rochford asked how modelling could show bus movements when future traffic movements were unknown.

He felt no one was listening to businesses and residents in the area.

Cllr Mitchell said the bus companies were working with the council on

route changes.

Resident Paul Crawford asked when future consultations would take place, adding: “I never heard of this until a couple of months ago. I am shocked a scheme this big has occurred in secrecy, with the fictitious name Valley Gardens which no resident has ever heard of.”

The name came about when the area was made a conservation area in 1973. It was known previously in the 19th century only as the North Steine Enclosures.

Further consultation is planned before a detailed design for the area is finalised by the end of this year.