A27 bypass: ‘New roads lead to more housing’

My heart sunk when I read your report of some Worthing residents trying to resurrect the spectre of a Worthing A27 bypass, writes reader Chris Hare, of Sussex Road, Worthing.
The Crossbush junction of the A27 now. Picture: Highways EnglandThe Crossbush junction of the A27 now. Picture: Highways England
The Crossbush junction of the A27 now. Picture: Highways England

Part of the argument appeared to be that as the Government had committed up to £455million to an Arundel bypass scheme, why should Worthing and Lancing be left out?

Well then, let’s add a Chichester bypass to the list as well, and while we are at it, why not make the entire A27 from Pevensey to Southampton motorway standard?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Have we not learned that bigger roads simply attract more traffic? What a pity that the Government has decided to cut £1billion from the rail infrastructure budget, presumably to help fund more roads.

Your news pages have also included people protesting about proposed house building in the Goring Gap. Bigger roads simply make green fields more attractive to housebuilders.

Get an A27 bypass and you will get hundreds, even thousands of new houses as surely as night follows day.

I sometimes feel I am living in a dystopic, 21st-century Alice in Wonderland. I read one week of Worthing residents calling for cycle lanes to be removed, and another week of others (or is it the same people?) demanding bigger and faster roads.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Has nothing been learned from the Covid lockdown or the impacts of climate change? Will some people only be happy when the coastal plain of West Sussex is entirely covered with houses, all with two or three cars in their driveways?