Political opinion with Alison Griffiths MP: Flooding frustration is loud and clear
In her weekly column for Sussex World, Alison Griffiths – MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton – writes about the recent impact of local flooding.
Recent flooding has caused serious disruption to people locally, with justifiable anger and frustration felt by residents and businesses.
Rainfall for January was double the long-term average for the time of year, and we have endured what feels like constant showers for the first two weeks of February.
The subsequent flooding has meant unpassable roads and closures, including Shripney Road on the A29, and the Lower Bognor Road. Although both are technically outside my constituency boundary, their impact has been painfully felt across our area.
The A29 has been particularly troublesome. I visited the site last week with WSCC Councillor Joy Dennis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, and Mark Jacobs, Area Highways Manager. Joy and Mark briefed me on the round-the-clock work to re-open the road.
On Friday, I met with West Sussex County Council, the Environment Agency, Southern Water and Arun District Council, alongside other local MPs, to discuss the repeated flooding affecting Shripney and the A29.
Agencies outlined the steps already taken, including installing a temporary access ramp at Sack Lane so residents were not cut off, and pumping millions of litres of water to reopen the road.
I was clear that emergency action alone is not enough. I welcome West Sussex County Council’s commitment to lead further technical work on long-term solutions, in partnership with other agencies. Shripney’s flooding is a long-standing issue, and residents rightly expect a plan to reduce future disruption — not the same problems repeated each winter.
This is a complex issue; it is not just about excessive rainfall and local topography causing flooding, but also inappropriate housing development in flood-prone areas. I will continue to campaign against this as it is one of my priorities as your MP.
Thank you for your hundreds of comments on social media about the ongoing situation which are invaluable.
You can find me on Facebook and Instagram as Alison Griffiths MP or you can contact me via email me: [email protected] or by post: Alison Griffiths MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.