High Street in Bognor is closed to traffic

The road has been completely closed between York Road and Sussex Street since yesterday (Monday, June 23). The closure will last until July 4.

The temporary ban on buses, delivery vehicles and emergency service vehicles has been brought in by the county council because of the need to repair the entrance ramps to the restricted area.

This has created a precinct by default instead of the usual mixture of pedestrians and some traffic which has existed since just before the current High Street was officially opened in July 2004.

Bognor Chamber of Commerce president and chairman Nick Stuart Nicolson said: "All the current situation shows is how misguided the High Street scheme was since the start. It is a total folly and always has been.

"The High Street's closure also calls into question what the town would do if the seafront was also closed as St Modwen has proposed.

"At the moment, motorists can still use The Esplanade as a through route. We just can't have that shut as well as the ban on general motorists from the High Street as well.

"It is so obvious that our east-west routes through the town are totally inadequate."

The current ban on most traffic along the High Street's central portion has proved controversial from the county council's original proposals about six years ago.

Complaints are made that motorists often flout the ban and that pedestrians are dangerously confused if it is safe for them to cross the road.

A county council spokesman said the need for repairs, and the inconvenience the work caused, was regrettable but necessary. The work would cost about 12,000.

"The traffic calming ramps (at both ends of the High Street) need to be built up because they have started breaking up under the weight of buses and delivery vehicles.

"It is quite a time consuming and specialist job and we also have to allow time for the materials to set."

The chance would also be taken to repair any cracked paving stones around the ramps and other minor problems, he added.

Along with the temporary road closure, the usually banned right turn from York Road on to High Street is also temporarily suspended.

The usual parking and loading bays in Lennox Street and Belmont Street have been suspended while the works take place. Parking and loading in those roads are temporarily banned at all times until next Friday.

Temporary bus stops have been put in place along Belmont Street and Sudley Road for services whch have to be diverted around the High Street.

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