LETTER: Trying to find best solution

We have to be realistic, the district council has given outline planning permission subject to section 106 agreement (the developers contribution to local infrastructure projects).

White House Farm is going to be built. The task now is to try to make sure any adverse effect on existing residents is minimised as far as possible. The developers have undertaken to build a Southern Access Road (SAR) to the development, which we say should connect directly into the Cathedral Way roundabout to give easy access to the A27.

There is no doubt that the Fishbourne roundabout requires improvement and I gather that the developer will be contributing funds towards this.

The SAR will connect with the Northern Access onto the B2178, which will reduce traffic in Western Chichester.

The plans for the exact route of this road and how Westgate and Sherborne Road will be altered have not yet been agreed but the objective must be to reduce ‘rat running’ through the residential areas of Parklands and Westgate – without the SAR an increase of 30 per cent to the traffic using Sherborne Road is forecast.

Your ‘outraged’ resident will be able to reach the A27 either via the new SAR or along the A286 and A259, which is the approved route for traffic from the north accessing the Fishbourne roundabout. In order to possibly save tw0 or three minutes off his journey, he wishes to inflict misery on existing residents, from traffic cutting through the residential areas past their homes.

The quotes on the front page of the paper, ‘the two approach roads will be choked with traffic’ and ‘the western edge of Chichester is to be sacrificed’, are irresponsible without any evidence to support them. And from the article: “New Traffic Regulation Orders and a one way system are all recommendations in an infrastructure review into White House Farm” is untrue. These are not recommendations but options for the steering committee to consider. They will only be adopted if a consensus of professional highways experts, the developer and above all the local county councillor and residents agree.

The group includes a representative of the East Broyle Residents Association, which covers Exeter Road.

I have a copy of the Paul Basham Associates report, which was delivered in early March. This report is in my opinion measured and well argued, it raises a number of options for discussion by the steering group with the objective of finding the solution, which is to the greatest benefit to the majority of residents.

Richard Brownfield

Westgate, Chichester