Western Road Reopening Delayed After Red Route Protest, Council Says

Update, 7 November 2026: the council leader has since agreed the Western Road red route again. Read what the council says about pick-ups and drop-offs.

Western Road in Brighton and Hove will begin reopening on Tuesday 10 November and fully reopen on Wednesday 11 November, subject to completion of the remaining work, according to a statement Brighton & Hove City Council sent on Friday 6 November 2026.

The road was due to reopen on Saturday 7 November. The council says a protest about the red route on Thursday evening, 5 November, prevented the final completion of work and delayed the reopening. Current diversions and road closures stay in place until the road reopens.

The council describes the major reconstruction and resurfacing between Holland Road and Montpelier Road as "successfully completed on schedule". It says the work will provide smoother, safer and more reliable journeys on a route used every day by thousands of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as around 700 buses carrying passengers between Hove and the city centre. It says its contractors and staff will carry out the remaining work as soon as possible and that the people doing it are being kept safe.

"I'm really pleased to see the transformation of Western Road. This has been a major programme of work and from the many conversations I've had with residents I know the improvements will make a real difference to everyone who travels along this busy route.

"It's unfortunate and disappointing that the actions of a tiny minority have disrupted the final stages of this necessary work and caused further unnecessary disruption for thousands of residents, businesses and everyone who relies on the road.

"I want to pay a special thanks to the teams of public servants and contractors who have worked incredibly hard to get us to this point and are doing everything they can to get things back on track."

Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council

What the red route means for drivers

The council says a red route will be introduced on this stretch of Western Road following the resurfacing, to tackle illegal and anti-social parking. Enforcement will start under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, which means the arrangements are monitored, people can comment on how it is working, and changes can be considered for six months after it is introduced.

According to the council's red routes web page, drivers will get warning notices rather than penalty charge notices during the first two weeks of the new red route. After that, the charge for stopping on a red route is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.

The council's statement does not give a start date for the red route. In our report on 4 November we said the order, reference TRO-21-2026, was due to come into force on 9 November 2026, as set out in the council's published order. The council has not said whether the delay to the reopening changes that date, although its urgent decision report of 6 November still says the order is due to come into force on 9 November. The statement does not say whether bus routes or timetables will change when the road reopens.

Under the order, no one may park, stop or wait on the road at any time unless they are in a marked bay or covered by an exemption. It also sets out 11 loading bays and 4 disabled badge holder parking places. We have the full list of exemptions, bay locations and a map in our guide to the Western Road red route. Comments on the red route can be emailed to TROcomment@brighton-hove.gov.uk, quoting TRO-21-2026.

How we got here

Cabinet first agreed in March 2025 that a red route should be introduced on Western Road under an experimental order, and a public engagement exercise followed in November 2025. Cabinet approved implementation on 17 September 2026, according to the council's statement of reasons. Western Road closed on 28 September for the rebuild, and the council made the red route order, TRO-21-2026, on 15 October.

The dates in our report on 4 November were those in the council's weekly update, which said road marking was planned for 5, 6 and 7 November, with Western Road expected to fully reopen on Saturday 7 November once the final markings were in.