Cost-benefit doesn’t stack up

I attended a recent A27 grey route consultation event at Walberton Village Hall where the National Highways representatives were unable to clearly answer the concerns of our local villagers.

I also attended a rally the following day in Walberton to protest against the grey route proposal where around 400 other like-minded people also attended.

The Highways England video fly through from Fontwell through Walberton completely omits highlighting the local Walberton Primary School that is only 150-170 metres away from the proposed new road.

Is the primary school not a sensitive receptor?

There are many concerns from local people regarding pollution and noise affecting the schoolchildren.

National Highways also covered the school on the proposed plans by adding the plan legend on top of where the school is located. It really does look like they are trying to hide the fact that the primary school exists.

National Highways also estimate an increase of traffic through Walberton of 42 per cent, which it states equates to 1,300 extra cars per day.

Approximately 300 primary school children attend Walberton school and a majority of these children have to zigzag across the street to gain access to the school as the pavement is not continuous.

I have been told by National Highways that I would need to drive through Walberton to Yapton Lane to the drive up to what would be the old

A27 to then drive back to Fontwell.

This seems a crazy idea as I would be adding to the additional traffic flow through Walberton each day.

Barnham Lane and

Lake Lane have both been omitted from the local traffic calculation maps.

During the proposed grey route construction (approximately three years) dust, rubble and disruption of large lorries will pollute our area.

There will be pollution run-off from more vehicles and road surfaces polluting our local streams, ponds and waterways.

The additional water run-off ponds that National Highways has proposed will not sustain any life due to the pollution from the runoff water picking up rubber and oil from the A27.

The Fontwell roundabouts are already over capacity and severely impacted by traffic in peak periods.

The A27 states that it will provide a safer journey for traffic. However statistics show than more fatal accidents happen on minor roads and the grey route is pushing additional cars onto the minor routes as they try and circumnavigate the new traffic delays which this grey route scheme is going to create at Fontwell.

Highways England estimate the additional traffic delay to be around three to four minutes at Fontwell.

I must ask what is the point of trying to reduce the Crossbush delay of eight minutes if we are only moving the delay a few miles down the road (destroying our beautiful countryside in the process)?

Traffic would be saving around four minutes in total at a cost of £400million pounds.

The cost-benefit ratio guidance from the government surely does not add up for this proposal. Are we not currently in a climate and ecological emergency?

There would also be a great deal of additional light pollution from the grey route proposal.

I have been informed that only seven per cent of people voted for the route in the initial consultation. I strongly feel that the Arundel Alternative scheme would be a better option to reduce the Crossbush traffic.

This can be seen at www. arundelalternative.org

I would like to bring to your attention that over 6,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the A27 bypass.

The petition can be viewed at www.ipetitions. com/petition/a27arundel-bypass?utm_ medium=widget&utm_ source=widget&utm_ campaign=button

Our green fields and communities must not be inappropriately under blight and siege from developers.

I would like to fully object to the A27 grey route proposal.

Are we not currently in a climate emergency.

Does this grey route proposal not go against government policy? MARTIN DALGARNO Dairy Lane Walberton