A27 plans in meltdown

In a shock announcement Highways England not only have put an indefinite brake on the Worthing – Lancing improvement and been forced into an embarrassing rethink of their Arundel preferred scheme. They have now scrapped the latest plans to rescue Chichester from motorgeddon.

Reporting the Highways England decision, the Chichester Observer said:

‘People living to the north of Chichester understandably do not want a massive bypass built through their exceptionally precious rural environment on the fringes of the national park. In the south of the district, however, residents are vigorously opposed to any streamlining of the existing route that would remove entrances and exits leaving them effectively abandoned and isolated.’

However given the seriousness of the A27 situation you would think local authorities would put on hold plans to build new housing in south Sussex that is not self sufficient has no public transport service and is only accessible by car. But nothing of the sort has been considered, infrastructure can wait just build and build more houses is the call echoing through the corridors of power.

This dire issue was recently highlighted in the national press, with the publication ‘Transport for New Homes’ (see) recently visiting a major development in Durrington Nr Worthing. Whether it was due to an enlightened planning department or luck but local campaigners were able to input the idea of sustainability into it.

However to be blunt whatever happens to the A27 one thing is clear – No matter how much new road is built only investment in better public transport will help solve gridlock.