LETTER: All traffic was impacted badly

In a letter published in last week's Herald, county councillor Kevin Boram asked me to provide the terms of reference for my suggested review of roadworks on main arterial roads.

I made this request following off-peak roadworks on the A259 which brought traffic to a standstill and made it very hard to get on and off Shoreham Beach. All local and through-traffic was also impacted badly.

I have since spoken to Cllr Boram, who is paid an allowance of £11,414 to represent Shoreham South.

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I emphasised that it’s my role as chairman of Shoreham Beach Residents’ Association and Marine ward councillor to flag up traffic issues on behalf of residents. It’s his role as county councillor to work with the highways authorities to try to resolve them.

Local people were understandably frustrated by traffic gridlock caused by West Sussex County Council’s (WSCC) recent decision to stage roadworks at the same time on the A259 near the Saltings roundabout and the Old Shoreham Road east of the Holmbush roundabout. Surely these works should have been staged separately?

WSCC should also consider carrying out all roadworks on major routes at night.

On a positive note, I am glad that Cllr Boram has recognised the need to remodel the High Street to improve traffic flows, particularly during peak times. Prompt action would be very much welcomed.

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Cllr Boram is fortunate as he doesn’t have to drive around Adur in the rush hour as he lives within walking distance of the railway station and gets the train to London.

It’s good to hear that he uses a bike locally and I am fully in favour of people using sustainable transport where possible. However, there are many occasions where people rely on cars and vans.

These include parents trying to take children to school in the pouring rain; people doing heavy food shopping; older people attending hospital appointments; and trades people running vital businesses such as plumbers, electricians and delivery drivers. So Cllr Boram, can you please ensure that WSCC and Highways England take local people’s views seriously.

In particular, many people want to see improvements to the road networks and general infrastructure to cope with thousands of new homes planned across the Adur district. These include other County Hall services including schools and the provision of social care.

Joss Loader

Chairman of Shoreham Beach Residents’ Association,

Adur district councillor for Marine Ward,

Falcon Close, Shoreham Beach