Pressure to build Arundel bypass is not backed by all

Arun District Council representative for Arundel, councillor Paul Dendle made the appeal during the latest meeting of Joint Downlands Area Committee (JDAC) on Monday (September 22).

Supported by Angmering and Findon county councillor Deborah Urquhart, Mr Dendle urged the committee write to transport minister Patrick McLoughlin informing the MP of the swell of support for the proposal for the offline bypass route.

Mr Dendle said: “Ninety-five per cent of people I talk to are in favour of a bypass.

“We need one desperately. There is nothing good in having lots of traffic queuing and spewing out fumes, which is the situation at the moment.”

He said a new bypass would not only help to reduce pollution from stop-start traffic but would also help to bolster the area’s economic prospects.

He cited the recent move by Rolls Royce into Bognor Regis as an example of the big businesses improved highways could attract.

However, Mr Dendle’s optimism for a bypass is not shared by everyone.

The Arundel branch of the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment (SCATE) is firmly opposed to the plans.

The group says that there are other ways to reduce traffic which would not need a new ‘damaging’ bypass being built.

Kay Wagland, chairman of the group, will be holding a public meeting to discuss other alternatives to a bypass, on Monday (September 29), 7pm-9pm, at Arundel Town Hall.

She said: “I feel that people have been a bit rail-roaded with the local authorities’ approach to it, making this assumption that everyone is on board with it, when there really hasn’t been an open discussion into all the options for years.

“This bypass could be hugely damaging. It’s old- fashioned thinking.”

She said the solution would be to not build a bypass but improve cycle and pedestrian routes, as well as public transport links.

“The meeting will be a chance to bring everyone up to speed about the proposals to see for themselves,” she added.

However, Mr Dendle said: “I agree with all those initiatives and we should be doing them all anyway. We’re not going to get a bypass for a few years.

“So we need more people to travel by public transport; I’m a champion of cycling and we need more cycle route; I believe children should walk to school and businesses should promote car-sharing – these are all things we should certainly be doing.

“However, all this is like mother and apple pie. We want them all but our environment will not improve without a bypass.”

As part of the Arundel SKATE campaign, the group will also be holding a guided walk of the proposed route on Sunday, from noon to 2pm.

It will meet at the Ford Road bus stop, near Warwick Court. There will be stops for refreshments on the walk.