Group accuses rival campaigners of putting Chichester's A27 upgrade at risk

Campaigners fighting for an upgrade of the A27 around Chichester have welcomed the news confirming the public consultation period will now be for ten weeks.
Chichester Deserves Better (pictured) have accused rival campaigners of wasting time and money by calling for the original consultation to be reinstatedChichester Deserves Better (pictured) have accused rival campaigners of wasting time and money by calling for the original consultation to be reinstated
Chichester Deserves Better (pictured) have accused rival campaigners of wasting time and money by calling for the original consultation to be reinstated

Highways England has just announced the consultations will happen this Summer, after the June 23 EU referendum, and will be extended from the six weeks it had originally planned.

With options for either a northern or southern route having been dropped, the project will focus on upgrading the existing stretch, with a number of proposed schemes to be brought to public exhibition.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After the Observer reported that the two northern routes were likely to cost £307.8m and £332.1m, and the southern route £583.2m, Highways England (HE) confirmed in its May Update that because of the available budget it had ‘discounted new route options as not viable’.

Responding to the latest announcement, Chichester Deserves Better (CDB) said: “The dropping of the northern route in particular was something we campaigned hard for as we felt that it was never beneficial to local people. We have always wanted to get a proper series of upgrades to the existing route.

“If a new bypass was built then it would have benefited through traffic but not local traffic.”

The group has welcomed the ten-week consultation.

But it has accused pro-northern bypass campaigners and a senior county councillor of potentially putting the whole project in jeopardy with calls to reinstate all seven route options.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Cllr Pieter Montyn has asked for a public inquiry, while Best4Chichester has written an open letter to the secretary of state calling for the original consultation process to be reinstated.

Jeremy Dry from CDB said: “Highways England has publicly stated the reasons for dropping the new bypass options and furthermore provided costs demonstrating that the options were clearly never viable. To call for public inquiries and for the options to be reinstated when they are clearly outside of the budget is, at best a waste of money, and at worst risks dragging the whole project down, meaning it will never get off the ground.

“How will this benefit local people?”

Mr Dry added: “Statistics have been revealed in the last few weeks that show the northern bypass would have reduced journey times for through traffic by nine minutes and would have actually made journeys for local people five minutes longer.

“We always maintained that a northern bypass was not in the interests of local people and this clearly shows that is the case.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

CDB added: “If they are not careful we could end up with the Government simply opting to do nothing. An option that nobody wants.”

Get your Chichester Observer newspaper for just 38p per week for a year!

Your Chichester Observer newspaper costs £1.05 each week - BUT if you buy a year’s subscription before June 4, 2016, you can enjoy a massive saving which works out at just 38p an edition.

Subscribe and read your favourite weekly, the Chichester, or Bognor Regis, or Midhurst & Petworth Observer, for 12 months for a one off advance payment of £19.76 - that works out at just 38p a copy for an entire year!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And as a valued subscriber you’ll continue to receive a 20% discount even after the initial 12 month offer has ended.

Once you’ve subscribed we’ll send you dated coupons to use instead of cash when paying for your Observer.

To take advantage of this fantastic offer simply click here and enter the offer code - 277PA-CCO.

Hurry though as offer ends on June 4, 2016.

Terms & Conditions: Offer valid to new customers only when paying by a one off direct debit charge of £19.76. Minimum 12 months subscription. Offer ends Saturday 4th June 2016. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.