Response the the Announcement from the Secretary of State regarding the A27

The CWS Partnership is hugely disappointed that the Secretary of State has instructed Highways England to stop work on the A27 bypass improvements at Chichester.

The A27 is the main arterial route along the West Sussex coast and as such, it is the most important transport connection between Portsmouth and Brighton. It is imperative that the A27 works effectively for the benefit of both the local, regional and national economy. Currently journey times all along the A27 in Coastal West Sussex are unreliable and unpredictable, often taking an hour to cover 12 miles.

“We have already been frustrated and disappointed at the speed of progress and extended timetabling for consultation on all the bottlenecks in our area including Arundel, Worthing and Lancing” said Caroline Wood, Director of the CWS Partnership “and now that work has stopped on the Chichester Bypass which raises questions about the Governments overall commitment into improving the road infrastructure in this area”.

Geoff Edwards, Vice President of Operations at Bowers & Wilkins Speakers Ltd and Chairman of the CWS Partnership commented ” Improvements to the whole A27 are critical for business growth and this announcement will be a major disappointment for many businesses that are based here or that use the A27 on a regular basis as it will have a negative impact on business efficiency and productivity”

The CWS Partnership would urge the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling to reconsider this decision.

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