Bridge delay slammed

Mr Loughton said the London-based group Living Streets had objected to the Highways Agency about the plans, which have now been delayed until next year.

Living Streets was the only group to make formal objections to the scheme. Both Mr Loughton and local residents have been campaigning for several years for a safer road crossing at the site, after numerous road traffic accidents, often involving schoolchildren.

Mr Loughton said: "Local people know how dangerous the A27 is around the Boundstone Community College stretch and at one stage, the fatalities here were averaging almost one a year.

"Fortunately, since the Highways Agency agreed to the improvements that I asked for in Parliament, there have been no further deaths, although there have still been a number of serious accidents.

"Fortunately, the Highways Agency then listened to local people and agreed a substantial investment in a new pedestrian bridge, which should separate schoolchildren from drivers permanently.

"Recently, many constituents have been asking me when it is going to happen and I now discover that the whole project is being derailed by a London-based group with no branches in West Sussex, who are supposedly there to promote road safety."

He added that Living Streets had not replied to his enquiries. No-one was available from the group to comment to the Herald.

Their website (www.livingstreets.org.uk) describes them as "the champions of streets and public spaces for people on foot".

A Highways Agency spokesman said the department was currently looking at different designs for the bridge.