Anti-roads lobby living in the past

While I wish Dr Tony Whitbread and his Sussex Wildlife Trust anti-road, anti-car, anti-driver and anti-travel pressure group well in their desire to return to the 18th century, when the majority of people could perhaps access what they needed without travel, I believe that they are living in ‘Noddy-land’ (‘Building new roads “will not solve” A27 problems’, Gazette story, July 17.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Jul 2014, 12:00 BST
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Roads and cars are an essential element of life in 21st century Britain, congestion exists, and some limited road-building to alleviate such congestion is essential, as well as being government policy.

The A27 around Arundel is one of the top six traffic congestion hot-spots in the whole country and, contrary to Dr Whitbread’s opinion, the urgently required bypass here would reduce the congestion from which we, together with very many people from far and wide, suffer.

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I agree that people making very short journeys should be encouraged to walk or cycle, but in Arundel’s case, according to the Highways Agency, some 80 per cent of the vehicles on the A27 here are through traffic, and are therefore nothing to do with Arundel whatsoever.

Also, to those who say that an improved A27 at Arundel would increase the traffic, I say ‘Yes, quite right’, because this is the precise purpose of a trunk road. The provision of a bypass would attract traffic onto the A27 from all the unsuitable local country roads currently being used by both cars and HGVs seeking to avoid the congestion here.

This would be a major benefit to both the South Downs National Park, and Storrington in particular, where there is already a major air quality problem caused by rat-running traffic.

Additionally, while I would agree with Nicola Peel’s concern about Binsted Wood (Gazette, July 17), if it was true that the route for the Arundel bypass was to pass through it, the fact is that she is simply perpetuating an untrue rumour.

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The proposed route is especially designed to avoid Binsted Wood, a situation that has prevailed for the past 20 years.

Finally, Dr Whitbread does his case no favours by his use of false emotional arguments. The area of the South Downs National Park through which any new road at Arundel would pass is very small, and the route through Tortington Common was not opposed by the Government inspector at the inquiry into the national park’s establishment.

Also, there would be no ‘loss of lots of ancient woodland’, as alleged. Tortington Common is primarily a pine wood, and is defined as ‘re-planted ancient woodland’, which is not the same as the nearby ancient woodlands.

Derek Waller

Surrey Wharf

Arundel

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Related topics:ArundelA27