New A27 bypass route selected
MP and county council offer their qualified support but the route option has faced criticism
Highways England has announced the proposed route for a new bypass to the A27 at Arundel.
The new preferred route – the ‘grey’ option, 5BV1, which was put forward at last year’s further consultation – ‘ strikes the right balance between creating vital new road capacity and protecting the special environment and cultural heritage in and around Arundel’, Highways England said on Thursday.
The plans include a new five-mile dual carriageway which will draw traffic away from Arundel and reduce rat-running on minor roads through the national park.
This route sweeps south of the South Downs National Park and includes a new dual carriageway between Crossbush in the east and a new junction near Tye Lane in the west.
It is the longest and costliest of the six routes put forward, estimated by Highways England last year at £320million to £455million; cuts through the least amount of woodland – 1.49 hectares, compared to 20.57 for the most impactful option – and is the only option not to pass through at least part of the national park.
It would also save the most driving time: six to 11 minutes per journey, Highwaysenglandpreviously estimated. It is expected to deliver benefits for 60 years.
But it will heavily impact the villages of Binsted, Walberton and Tortington, whose residents have fought against bypass plans for years. The new road would cut through Binsted Valley, passing close to the village’s 12th-century church, natural wetlands and a rare chalk stream, campaigners said.
Both Arun District Council and West Sussex County Council originally backed the ‘ magenta route’ option, which was similar to the grey route but went through ancient woodland and the South Downs National Park and went through more of Binsted than Walberton.
Suzanne Clark, chairman of Walberton Parish Council, said it was the ‘worst possible option’ for the villages.
She added: “‘Grey’ carves through both Binsted and Walberton and Eastern Fontwell. It cuts our villages off from each other. Four of our villages’ lanes will be closed or dramatically changed.”
And Emma Tristram, of Binsted, who previously blocked bypass plans with a High Court challenge, felt Highways England had ‘ignored public opinion’ as ‘ only seven per cent of responders voted for [grey] in the public consultation’.
“A majority of the responders, 64 per cent, wanted Beige or Cyan [routes that followed the current path of the A27] or ‘do nothing’,” she said.
Environmental campaigners are also unhappy.
The countryside charity CPRE Sussex said it was ‘appalled’ by the newsandthe Arundel SCATE community group said it wanted all bypass plans to be scrapped.
Jean Norton, secretary of Arundel SCATE, said: “This announcement flies in the face of all the evidence about what we need to do to tackle climate change and loss of wildlife”. She added: “We don’t need a new, highly expensive, dual carriageway.”
In contrast, the Woodland Trust said it was ‘delighted threatened ancient woodland has had a reprieve’, and Arundel mayor Tony Hunt, speaking on behalf of Arundel Town Council, welcomed the news as it would stop drivers ‘ratrunning’ through the town centre.
Jason Hones is programme leader for the Arundel Bypass. After the public had a say on the six options last year, which informed the decision, the pandemic struck – leading to a massive fall in the number of cars on the roads and an increase in working from home which could have a long-term impact.
Mr Hones said: “Coronavirus hasn’t really impacted on our decisionmaking as it will be a relatively short-term blip when we are designing a road with benefits for 60 years.
“In the future, people will be using hybrid and electric cars and with the forecasted growth in the area, the road still needs to exist.”
Concerns were also raised about how the project would be funded, given that the last budget figurewasstill around half of the £455million top estimate. Mr Hones said they were not announcing an updated cost for the project because they were in the ‘final throes’ of commercial negotiations, but Highways England had ‘rebalanced’ its entire national investment strategy to make sure it was fully funded internally.
Walberton Parish Council said Highways England’s announcement had not addressed the impact the bypass would have on Walberton & Binsted CE Primary School in The Street, Walberton. Mr Hones acknowledged ‘each route option had its pros and cons, there was no clear out and out, slam-dunk decision’ but they had ‘taken all the potential impacts into account’.
When asked whether these plans would be robust enoughtowithstandanylegal challenges, Mr Hones said: “I would like to reassure your readers that we have done the utmost to make sure this is completely above board. Our decision-making has been open and transparent, and wholly defensible.
“We believe this is the long-term best option for reducing the problem of congestion, now and in the future, for Arundel.”
People will be using hybrid and electric cars ... the road still needs to exist JASON HONES
Programme leader for the Arundel Bypass