Govt commits £7billion to new roads, but...

Lord Bracknell

On fire

Jul 5, 2003

39,499

104 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair

• Jul 9, 2003

• #1

... throws out six schemes in Sussex (on environmental grounds) -

A27 Worthing Tunnel

A27 Chichester Bypass Improvements

A27 Arundel Bypass

A27 Selmeston Bypass

A27 Wilmington Bypass

A27 Beddingham improvement – Secretary of State has asked for revised scheme

Extracts from Alistair Darling's announcement:-

"As I have said before, unless there is an overriding public interest in a scheme, there should be a strong presumption against building roads through Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or other sensitive sites. We have a clear duty to do everything we can to preserve the environment.

The Arundel bypass would cut across water meadows damaging an area of outstanding beauty.

I am rejecting this proposal as well as proposals to expand junctions with flyovers on the Chichester bypass and the proposal for a tunnel at Worthing. Each, in my view, has environmental consequences that are unacceptable and avoidable. And at an estimated cost of over £500 million there are question marks over the Worthing Tunnel’s affordability.

There are problems on these roads, and I am therefore asking the Highways Agency to identify alternative solutions, recognising the need to support planned economic growth.

Also on environmental grounds, I am asking the Agency to take a hard look at other recommendations to see if there are less damaging alternatives.

For example, I accept the need for safety improvements at the level crossing on the A27 at Beddingham. But this road already runs through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and I am asking the Agency to redesign the scheme to reduce its impact on the surrounding landscape".


But a new hourly rail service between Ashford and Brighton will be introduced in 2005.

 

Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster

Jul 5, 2003

72,015

• Jul 9, 2003

• #2

Lord Bracknell said:

... throws out six schemes in Sussex (on environmental grounds) -

There are problems on these roads, and I am therefore asking the Highways Agency to identify alternative solutions, recognising the need to support planned economic growth.

Also on environmental grounds, I am asking the Agency to take a hard look at other recommendations to see if there are less damaging alternatives.
.

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More money on more inquiries and nothing will happen, if there were alternatives they should know by now. Bloody jobs for the boys

 

S

Storer68

New member

Jul 7, 2003

8,564

For me this is perfect. The time, the place, the

• Jul 9, 2003

• #3

Given that it takes nearly an hour to get from Brighton to Hastings by train, bow the F''k are they going to get to Ashford in the same time. especialy if the operators are the same ones we have now.

 

B

Brovion

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Jul 6, 2003

19,420

• Jul 9, 2003

• #4

Why does Britain have to have the worst transport infrastructure in Europe? Why can't we have one decent East/West road? Stand on Devil's Dyke and look north - miles of unspoilt countryside as far as the eye can see. The A27 should be at least dual carriage way with no roundabouts and traffic lights all the way through Sussex. The loss of a few fields and trees will be well worth it. And it will REALLY piss off the Greens which is a nice bonus.

 

Curious Orange

Punxsatawney Phil

Jul 5, 2003

9,968

On NSC for over two decades...

• Jul 9, 2003

• #5

And no plans to finish the A24 either. The single lane part around Capel and Warnham is a death-trap. Literally.

 

S

Storer68

New member

Jul 7, 2003

8,564

For me this is perfect. The time, the place, the

• Jul 9, 2003

• #6

Does this have any affect on Falmer?

 

brighton rock

New member

Jul 5, 2003

4,430

lancing

• Jul 9, 2003

• #7

A27 Worthing Tunnel

 

Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster

Jul 5, 2003

72,015

• Jul 9, 2003

• #8

Brovian said:

Why does Britain have to have the worst transport infrastructure in Europe? Why can't we have one decent East/West road? Stand on Devil's Dyke and look north - miles of unspoilt countryside as far as the eye can see. The A27 should be at least dual carriage way with no roundabouts and traffic lights all the way through Sussex. The loss of a few fields and trees will be well worth it. And it will REALLY piss off the Greens which is a nice bonus.

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Remember the outcry when the A23 was widened up to Waterhall, who the f**k even notices how it has impinged on an area of outstanding natural beauty now? It's just part of the landscape which is still just as beautiful around it and it's made getting around a lot easier until you get to Waterhall.

I am getting really pissed off with Greens and recently arrived influential out of area residents making life difficult for the majority when they are the minority.

 

S

slosp

New member

Jul 9, 2003

15

Brighton, Southern Kentucky

• Jul 9, 2003

• #9

how is that interesting in anyway?

 

Y

Yorkie

Sussex born and bred

Jul 5, 2003

32,367

dahn sarf

• Jul 9, 2003

• #10

Storer68 said:

Does this have any affect on Falmer?

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I am interested too. Is this a sop to the environmentalists because we are going to be allowed to have Falmer or is the Falmer decision going to go the same way

 

Rambo

Don't Push me

Jul 8, 2003

3,964

Worthing/Vietnam

• Jul 9, 2003

• #11

No bypass for Arundel then, utter disgrace. Greens have to face up to the fact, the roads will be built eventually anyway, whether it be now or in 10 years time!

Wasnt the Newbury bypass opposed - the Twyford cutting?

Lets face it, we have to have roads, we all have cars, including most of the green gimps.

NIMBYs rule again, as for the tunnel, what a brilliant idea - if it was anywhere else in the world it would be built by now.

Good job I bought a new bike at the weekend, looks like all roads will be abolished in the future and we will all be using superior public transport, cos of course we all know that it is absolute quality - why go in the comfortable Audi?

Rant Over..

 

H

Hunting 784561

New member

Jul 8, 2003

3,651

• Jul 9, 2003

• #12

The worst thing about todays announment is that Sussex is about the only place NOT to get any road schemes accepted. The M25, M1, M42 etc etc are all going to be widened.

Most people accept that to have a thriving economy you have to have good transport links.

So why not Sussex ......??

 

G

Giant Seagull

That was textbook

Jul 5, 2003

1,866

Wiltshire

• Jul 9, 2003

• #13

Sussex particualry the East has one of the lowest amount of dualled roads in the country- and the highest number of pensioners, doing 35mph stuck behind a nissan micra on the A27 is not how i want to spend my day.


Interesting they mention Beddingham needs to be revised for enviromental reasons, ovbiousley nobody told him theres a huge landfill site just down the road

 

Last edited: Jul 9, 2003

Lord Bracknell

On fire

Jul 5, 2003

39,499

104 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair

• Jul 9, 2003

• Thread starter
• #14

Giant Seagull said:

Sussex particualry the East has one of the lowest amount of dualled roads in the country- and the highest number of pensioners, doing 35mph stuck behind a nissan micra on the A27 is not how i want to spend my day.


Interesting they mention Beddingham needs to be revised for enviromental reasons, ovbiousley nobody told him theres a huge landfill site just down the road

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The Beddingham proposals that have just been scrapped were for a massive bridge over the railway, round the side of Mount Caburn to eliminate the delays caused by the level crossing. What would that achieve? Absolutely nothing - westbound traffic would save a few minutes off the journey to the massive queue that tails back from the Lewes tunnel. And eastbound traffic would charge unimpeded to the back of a longer queue at Polegate.

At the public meeting held by the Highways Agency at a hall in Beddingham, it was the environmentalists who put forward the case for a bigger scheme that would not only protect Mount Caburn, but would eliminate the level crossing problem AND do something about the cause of the queues into Lewes.

The Highways Agency weren't interested. At least the Secretary of State has listened, and thrown out the Beddingham scheme.

The trouble with our highway engineers is that they think they can deal with problems in a piecemeal way. They never seem to see the bigger picture.

 

B

Brovion

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Jul 6, 2003

19,420

• Jul 10, 2003

• #15

Correct LB, Every road development in Sussex has always been piecemeal and never as a stage in a bigger plan. Individual schemes should be looked at as part of a greater whole and not as a way of shifting a jam 300yds up the road. Also how anybody can call that roundabout-infested ringroad round Chichester a 'bypass' is beyond me. Its actually quicker to drive through the city (past Northgate and tnhe College) than it is to go around.

And Giant - you are correct. Before the Brighton bypass was built there were only ELEVEN miles of dual-carriage way in the whole of East Sussex. And incredible as it seems to the younger people even the Brighton bypass was opposed! Fortunately the brain-dead retards were defeated otherwise Preston Circus today would be hell on earth.