• Proposals Postponed

      National Highways wanted their 'Grey' bypass at Arundel to be the first step in a major new route wrecking Sussex environment and communities. On 9th March 2023, Secretary of State Mark Harper sent them back to the drawing board to give better consideration to people and the environment - and, implicitly, to wasting less money.  This delay to the next schemes period, 2025-2030, is a first step in the right direction - cancellation.  National Highways should now revisit the Arundel Alternative  - and Government should invest a large part of the hundreds of millions saved, in sustainable transport.

      Consultations Feedback

      National Highways did admit after the 2019 consultation that 93% of people respondiing did not support their Grey Route - but they chose it, against the public's preference.
       
      Thank you to all who responded to the Nov-Dec 2022 supplementary consultation.  Any outcomes from it, we will post here. We believe the public's responses were, as before, overwhelmingly against this damaging scheme.
       
      National Highways are now refusing to admit how many respondents oppose the scheme overall in the spring 2022 Statutory Consultation - it must have been overwhelmingly against them again.  We have asked for an internal review and if refused will apply to the Information Commissioner. 
       
      National Highways are also trying to get out of revealing the legal advice they took on the options, despite the Information Commissioner ruling that transparency would be in the public interest.  
       

      National Highways - NOT working for you!

       
       
       

      Supplementary Consultation Nov-Dec 2022

       
      National Highways hope people won't bother to tell them yet again, we don't want the devastating Grey Route. Please help us to disappoint them! 

      You can write to a27arundelbypass@nationalhighways.co.uk

      Here's a few key points - for more help click here.

      1. Say that you object to the Grey route altogether, and why.  They ask that we only respond to their latest tweaks, but if we do that, they will claim that fewer people are objecting to the route as such.

      2. It cuts through the villages of Tortington and Binsted and causes more traffic in Walberton and Fontwell.   It would ruin the beauty and tranquillity of river Arun walks and the setting of Arundel, the Binsted Rife valley and the setting of the South Downs National Park.   It would sever a huge, important wildlife area of 'exceptionally rich biodiversity' (Natural England).  

      3. It will bring nothing but more peak traffic and more congestion to Worthing, Chichester and villages and towns in between.  

      4. National Highways are still mentioning an old budget figure of £320M+.   This is well out of date and costs must now be more likely to approach or exceed NH’s earlier top range estimate figure of £1.2Bn:  Either way it is not the best use of that much public money when there are other higher priority needs.  It fails to consider the much shorter and more economical Arundel Alternative which is an appropriate 21st century solution.

      5. Building an 8Km new road will incur an enormous carbon footprint in construction, and in its use it would encourage people to take longer, faster and more frequent car journeys.  This is not compatible with government and global net zero objectives.

      Please click here for more info about the consultation, and help with responding.

      ABNC (which stands for Arundel Bypass Neighbourhood Committee) is an environmental community pressure group, concerned about the impacts of road-building proposals around the Arundel A27 in West Sussex.  We have been working for 30 years to save the countryside south and south-west of Arundel from major new road damage. Based in Binsted and surrounding villages, and funded by local people's donations, ABNC has a core organizing committee, a wider network of local volunteers across several parishes, and a mailing list of more than 6000 supporters. 

      The villages of Binsted, Walberton, Fontwell, Tortington; the wildlife of Binsted Woods, and wetlands from the iconic floodplain south of Arundel to the Binsted Rife Valley, are all under threat from the impacts of National Highways' proposals. The Arundel Bypass proposals also raise issues of international importance:  climate change and species extinctions.

      You can find ABNC also on Facebook and on Twitter.   We work with environmental and transport organization partners including the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment, Transport Action Network and the South Downs Network

      Together with local community environmental groups ArundelSCATE (www / FB /TW), whose Arundel Alternative proposal we support; Walberton Friends & Neighbours ( Facebook & Twitter), and Tortington Local Community, we are the Stop the Arundel Bypass Alliance (SAB Alliance - FB & TW).

       

       
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      To contact Highways England:
      A27ArundelBypass@
      HighwaysEngland.co.uk


      To find out about 
      Highways England's
      2019-20 consultations,
      Click Here

       

    • If you would like support us, then send us an email with your contact details.

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