Now is the time to tackle traffic
On the 20th of July there will be a debate at the District Council on my Notice of Motion regarding the A27 calling for the Secretary of State for Transport to be reminded that the traffic situation in Chichester needs a long-term solution.
Some may say ‘oh not that old chestnut again’ but for what I believe the many will say - it’s about time. As we come out of lockdown the traffic is getting worse and the Chichester A27 is back to the usual long traffic queues, and worsening air quality.
The debate is particularly timely as Highways England have announced that it will be starting a round of dialogues with partners this autumn in hope of inclusion in the Regional Infrastructure Strategy phase three.
Now is the time for CDC to write to the Secretary of State for him to give some impetus to rectifying the terrible traffic system around our City once and for all
This Highways England dialogue will be very important as District Council is developing its Local Plan for adoption by the Council in spring 2023. Among the key areas of the Local Plan are the measures to mitigate the effects on transport resulting from the huge increase in housing numbers under the new Plan accepts, proposed by the consultants - Stantec. On the 29th July there will be a further Council briefing on the Stantec Report. This is a very challenging area for everyone, villages are blighted with regular rat running to avoid the A27 so what is the answer?
Tinkering with roundabouts on the A27 cannot be even a short term viable option. Through traffic must be separated from local. ‘Upgrading’ the current carriageway and roundabouts will result in years of chaos as the works progress, and provide no improvements. A complete review of all the options for the A27 is vital, including a northern route. In 2016 residents were denied the opportunity to review the northern bypass option in Highways England’s proposals after this option was mysteriously dropped just a few days before the consultation. This must never happen again. Residents are taxpayers who fund such Government agencies as Highways England out of their hard earned salaries or
pensions. They deserve and should demand openness, honesty and transparency.
If the consultation had gone ahead as originally planned, and we had had a Minister determined to solve the Chichester traffic chaos, the road would now have been almost built. Traffic through our City and along the roads below the existing A27 would greatly reduce; the A272 would notice fewer large vehicles pounding along that road and through Petworth and Midhurst and the villages en route, and we would not be faced with great restrictions for local traffic trying to use the A27 and an unwanted Link Road. The Build a Better A27 meetings provided an innovative group set up to heal the serious divisions in the community, made up of people both pro and anti Northern Bypass, and came to their conclusion which was a mitigated northern route was the preferred option with a Southern option as an inferior alternative.
Both West Sussex County Council and Chichester District Council adopted the same position. Now is the time to get on and find a long term sustainable solution that is right for Chichester and surrounding communities and that is why I look forward to the debate at Full Council on the 20th July.
CHRIS PAGE District Councillor for Tangmere and North
Mundham