6 days Ago
A government minister has been urged to come to Sussex to see firsthand the importance of the A27 and the pressures it faces after a multimillion-pound scheme designed to improve it was scrapped. The leader of West Sussex County Council and the chairman of Transport for the South East (TfSE) have written to the secretary of state for transport to raise their concerns following the government decision to cancel planned improvements to the road. In their letter, Councillor Paul Marshall and Councillor Keith Glazier invited Louise Haigh MP to see first-hand why the A27 is important to residents in Sussex and offered their support in working with the government to find a solution to problems with the road.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the Arundel Bypass would not go ahead as she set out a raft of public spending cuts in July . The axing of the scheme, which would have seen around 4.9 miles of new dual carriageway created through the countryside to the south of the existing A27, from the Crossbush to Fontwell roundabouts, was part of a review of projects which the Chancellor said was launched in response to £1 billion of unfunded commitments to transport schemes next year.
National Highways previously said the bypass proposals, which were estimated to cost at least £320 million and were years in the works, would reduce congestion and travel time, and improve safety. Ms Reeves said the government “would not move forward” with projects which also included works on the A303 at Stonehenge, where a dual carriageway tunnel was set to be built at the World Heritage Site surrounding the ancient stone circle. Plans to reopen closed railway lines were also shelved.
The government labelled the road schemes as “low value, unaffordable commitments” which would have cost £587 million next year. Cllr Marshall and Cllr Glazier said the A27, which stretches through the south of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex to Pevensey, has long been considered “sub-standard and unreliable”. Read more: Residents' relief as A27 bypass plan delay saves countryside from 'destruction' The road suffers with particularly bad congestion at Chichester, Arundel and Worthing, as well as to the east of Lewes.
The letter outlines the leaders’ concerns that the decision to cancel the A27 improvement schemes will further harm opportunities for growth across the Sussex region and impact on local businesses and trade in the region. Cllr Marshall said: “Although the majority of the A27 issues are situated in West Sussex, the continued failure to tackle serious congestion at bottlenecks along the route has significant impacts across Sussex and the wider sub-region. Residents and businesses alike have been kept waiting for a solution for far too long.
“Previous schemes were considered by the government to not provide value for money, however the ongoing issues seen along the route will not go away without significant investment and development. “As a council, we are committed to generating a sustainable and prosperous economy for West Sussex, which is why I’m urging the secretary of state to look at alternative solutions that will provide a real and lasting improvement to the A27 corridor.” Cllr Glazier said: “The A27 is a key strategic route connecting people, businesses and freight across the South East.
The problems on the A27 still remain, which is why Transport for the South East would welcome the opportunity to work with the secretary of state to develop a solution for the whole corridor. “Improvements to the A27 are central to delivering TfSE’s Transport Strategy and Strategic Investment Plan. By improving the A27, we can accelerate economic growth across the South East, better connect people to employment, healthcare, and leisure, and give communities healthier streets, with more opportunities for buses and active travel.
” Campaigners welcomed the move to shelve the project, branding the decision a “return to sanity”. The A27 bypass attracted fierce opposition over the years and had been delayed several times..
