Another plan mooted for Comet Corner

The 300,000 scheme has been compiled by West Sussex County Council to make conditions at the accident hotspot safer for drivers.

County highways officer Martin Dowdney said the intention was to increase the staggered nature of the crossroads to create a safer environment and more room for queueing traffic to wait.

"Hopefully, this will get rid get of some of the suicidal moves that people use to try to get through this junction," he told the Joint Downland Area Committee of various councils.

The proposals will see changes to the southern side of the junction of Yapton Road and the A259.

It will involve extending the A259's westbound filter lane ahead of Yapton Road to split the Middleton and Bognor traffic into two lanes.

The section of Yapton Road between the A259 and Comet Cottage will be made one-way southbound.

All traffic wishing to join the A259 from Yapton Road will use Worms Lane, which will also become one-way.

Extended traffic islands will be built in the centre of the A259, next to Worms Lane, to create a central refuge for traffic wanting to head east along the A259.

The alterations are needed to improve the junction's safety record, with one life claimed and countless accidents and near-misses, and cope with the extra traffic from the 1,350 homes about to be built at North Bersted and Felpham.

County council figures show that, by the time the new housing is completed, so much traffic will be going along the A259 that it will take 25 minutes to join it from Middleton.

Queues of 70 vehicles at a time will be expected.

But the presence underground of a large quantity of services on the northern side of the road makes it very expensive to move them to make way for other alterations.

The services include a high-pressure sewage pipe, BT optical cabling and high-voltage electric cables.

Mr Dowdney said the money would come out of the 1m which the developers of the housing had agreed to put towards improving existing roads.

Consultations had shown Middleton and Yapton parish councils both rated improving Comet Corner as a priority.

Previous solutions put forward by the county '“ such as a roundabout and traffic lights '“ were ruled out because of their expense.

Middleton parish councillors have backed the changes in principle, with the wish to see some minor amendments. They also believe a more comprehensive solution like a roundabout will still be needed in a few years.

Yapton Parish Council would like to see space created for vehicles from the village to wait in safety to turn onto the A259.