The CWS Partnership welcomes the long awaited consultation by Highways England for improvements into the A27 at Arundel which will run from the 22nd August to 16th October 2017.

The Arundel section of the A27 lacks road and junction capacity and as a result it suffers from congestion, particularly the junctions at Crossbush, The Causeway and Ford Road.  The additional growth expected along the wider A27 corridor is likely to worsen the problem and at present there’s no proposal for public transport provision that would have a positive impact on traffic levels.

The scheme at Arundel aims to reduce congestion  by means of a new dual carriageway bypass. The bypass would link together the two existing dual carriageway sections of the A27 either side of Arundel and a dualled approach would be welcomed by the CWS Partnership.

Highways England have taken a staged approach in consulting the options for addressing the significant bottlenecks on the the A27 across West Sussex but its imperative that all the challenges of this key arterial road link at Chichester, Worthing, Lancing and Arundel are addressed for the benefit of the local, regional and national economy

Highways England are also assessing and consulting on alternative options including online junction improvements and are all subject to consultation with the National Parks Authority, Local Government and the public.

The objectives for the scheme are to:

  • improve capacity of the A27 whilst supporting local planning authorities to manage the impact of planned growth
  • reduce congestion, reduce travel time and improve journey time reliability along the A27
  • improve the safety of travellers along the A27 and consequently the wider local road network
  • improve accessibility for all users to local services and facilities
  • deliver a scheme that minimises environmental impact and seeks to protect and enhance the quality of the surrounding environment through its high quality design
  • respect the South Downs National Park and its special qualities in Highways England’s decision-making

The public consultations give local residents and businesses the opportunity to have their say on reducing congestion on this stretch of the A27.

Public consultation dates planned are:

Tuesday 22 August, 4pm to 8pm – Arundel Town Hall, Maltravers Street, Arundel, BN18 9AP

Thursday 31 August, 2pm to 8pm -Arundel Town Hall, Maltravers Street, Arundel, BN18 9AP

Tuesday 5 September, 2pm to 8pm – Cathedral Centre, London Road, Arundel, BN18 9AY

Saturday 9 September, 10am to 2pm – The White Swan, 16 Chichester Road, Arundel, BN18 0AD

Tuesday 19 September, 2pm to 8pm – Look & Sea Centre, 63-65 Surrey Street, Littlehampton, BN17 5AW

Wednesday 27 September, 2pm to 8pm – Littlehampton Town Council – Manor House, Church Street, Littlehampton, BN17 5EW

Thursday 5 October, 2pm to 8pm – Fontwell Park Racecourse – Premier Grandstand, Fontwell Avenue, Fontwell, Arundel, BN18 0SX

Saturday 14 October, 10am to 5pm – Cathedral Centre, London Road, Arundel, BN18 9AY

In addition, unstaffed exhibitions (where members of the public can view the exhibition boards and collect copies of the brochure and questionnaire, but with no staff present) will take place as follows:

Monday 2nd October to Friday 5th October (during usual opening hours) – Bognor Regis Town Hall, Clarence Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1LD

Wednesday 4th October, 2pm to 8pm – Storrington & Sullington Parish Hall, Thakeham Road, Storrington, RH20 3PP

Monday 9th October, 2pm to 8pm – Walberton Pavilion, The Street, Walberton, BN18 0PQ

Wednesday 11th October, 2pm to 8pm – Yapton Village Hall, Main Road, Yapton, BN18 0ET

Thursday 12th to Monday 16th October (during usual opening hours) – Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, BN17 5LF