Chichester traffic chaos: Readers respond to councillor's comments

Following a number of articles detailing the plight of drivers in the city who were trapped in car park for nearly five hours, this newspaper published a comment from journalist Joe Stack.

You can read it here: Traffic chaos is crippling Chichester — when will it end?

Soon after, county councillor Pieter Montyn has submitted this letter to the Chichester Observer responding to the letter and outlining what must be done next.

You can read cllr Montyn’s comment here: Chichester traffic chaos - this is what our MP and local councils must do to unlock the crisis, according to a county councillor

Readers then took to social media to share their views of the situation.

Commenting under cllr Montyn’s article on Facebook, Peter Chandler said: “The traffic problems are easily solved, given the political will, finances and the demolition of some housing and businesses that should never have been built.

"If only a bit of sense had been applied in the past regarding residential/business planning.”

Tim Weeks suggested that building a northern bypass might do more than just improve traffic flow.

He said: “How many important archaeological sites would be uncovered in the process of building a northern by-pass? The fertile agricultural land around Noviomagus would have surely had a number of Roman farm houses (‘villas’) similar to Bignor dotted about on it.

"As soon as you start any major earthworks you're almost bound to find something of significance. Don't forget, Fishbourne Roman Palace was only discovered by chance when the water board were laying a new pipe across a field.”

Glynis Hiles said: “It's put me off going to the Portfield Retail Park and I'm probably not alone in my thinking.

"The next minute we will be hearing all the shops are closing because of no customers. We are limited on shops in and around Chichester as it is.”

David Lainchbury described cllr Montyn’s piece as a ‘master class in dodging the issue and passing the buck’, adding: “CDC and WSCC lack the courage, political will and leadership to tackle any of these issues.

"Basically, he's saying that there's no hope in sight and things are going to get a lot worse. Which, considering the collossal amount of house building underway around the City and within neighbouring Arun, they surely will.”

Steven Plain added: “The traffic issue has been around since I was young so around 40 years. Every time we get told a solution is being looked at but as yet no one is willing to do anything about it and now we are in the situation we are in now. Massive amounts of new housing (which I agree is needed) but the infrastructure is never adapted.”

Three hours and counting: Chichester motorists trapped in car park speak out

Chichester car park carnage: Police attend scene as gridlock continues