A27 still needs a 'durable bypass scheme' as proposals in Chichester Local Plan are criticised as not going far enough

As previously reported two schemes were recommended for inclusion in the Plan – the Fishbourne Road roundabout and Terminus Road Link (A259), which would cost between £9.5m and £12.9m; and the Bognor Road Roundabout and Vinnetrow Road Link, which would cost between £19.4m and £30.4m.

But in a letter to SussexWorld Mr Montyn said the proposals set out in the Chichester Local plan do not go far enough.

His letter reads: “The draft Local Plan Review proposed by Chichester District Council includes a section dealing with transport, which highlights the need for junction improvements on the A27 at Chichester to mitigate for the additional traffic resulting from new development in the Plan area only. These improvements are specifically not intended to deal with the existing longstanding problems on the bypass.

“The draft Plan proposes improvements to the Fishbourne Road and the Bognor Road roundabouts only, but recognises that improvements at the Whyke and Stockbridge roundabouts are also required. It refers to provisional schemes that would convert these to signalised crossroads where right turns from the A27 to the Manhood and into the City will be prohibited.

“This will be familiar to those who responded to the failed consultation in the summer of 2016 following the sudden withdrawal of two northern options earlier that year, and who may recognise this as Options 3 or 3A which, at just three per cent and two per cent respectively, of five options received the lowest approval by the nearly 4,000 participating respondents. Of these, 47 per cent did not approve of any of the options. What is all the more remarkable to note is that what is proposed now as mitigation only, was seriously put forward in 2016 by Highways England as a bypass improvement scheme.

“The draft Plan goes on to acknowledge that there have not been any external sources of funding identified that would enable these schemes to be delivered. Also, concerns about the deliverability of a required Stockbridge Link Road mean that cannot form part of the Local Plan mitigation measures either.

“In other words, this leaves improvements at just two of the four major roundabouts, plus some other unspecified local schemes. The draft Plan goes on to say that ‘if during the monitor and manage process, it is found that any alternative scheme could remove the need for the restricted movements, then these will be assessed’. When thus far it has not been possible to identify any alternative scheme, this is hardly a sound proposition for such an essential element of the Local Plan.

“This demonstrates again the urgent need for a durable bypass scheme that separates through and local traffic and that brings all the other benefits in terms of cutting rat running through the City and elsewhere, reduced accident rates, predictable travel times and reduced pollution (new air quality monitoring at Stockbridge has just been announced), to so many residents and to road users alike. Furthermore, the construction of such a new alignment will avoid the huge upheaval over years that implementation of the current proposals will cause. One has only to remember the prolonged delays and congestion caused by the relatively minor works on the A27 to close the Oving crossing, by the replacement of the footbridge at Stockbridge, and by the less than successful alterations to the Portfield junction.”