Summit to be held to discuss A27 problems

A summit meeting is to be held this Friday 27th

May for local councils and businesses in West Sussex to keep up the pressure

for improvements to the A27 road.

The under-secretary of state for transport, Mike Penning and

county council deputy leader Lionel Barnard, who is responsible for highways

and transport, drove along the road earlier this year in order to present to Mr

Penning the problem areas at Worthing, Arundel and Chichester.

Following this, a delegation of MPs, local council members

and businesses met Phillip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport, in

Westminster.

After the meeting, Lionel said: "At both meetings, we

highlighted the negative effect transport problems on the A27 were having on

the county's economy and how it is impacting on local businesses.

"The Department for Transport said in October last year it

would continue working on plans for an A27 Chichester Bypass with the aim of

starting construction after 2015."

It sounds like progress will eventually be made for us in

Chichester then but as Lionel went on to say and as we all know too well, the

problems are all along the road through Arundel and Worthing.

The summit is said to have two primary aims: To examine new

funding sources now available from both the public and private sector; and to

prepare a case for improvements to coincide with the Government's review of its

Strategic Road Network. It will be held at Arun District Council offices in

Littlehampton between 1pm-2.30pm and those in attendance at the meeting will be

representatives from the following: West Sussex County Council, Arun District

Council, Arundel Town Council, Horsham District Council and Sussex Enterprise.

What do you think about this summit and the problems on the

A27? Are you satisfied with work in Chichester likely beginning after 2015? Do

you agree that work needs to be done all along the road and not just along the

Chichester Bypass? Maybe you are a local business owner directly affected by

the problems on the road? Let us know whatever you think.