A legal injunction has held up works at a major West Sussex road which has been plagued with problems for nearly three and a half years.

The A29 at Church Hill in Pulborough has been shut to traffic since April 20 for ‘essential safety works’ and was due to reopen on April 30.

It was initially shut by West Sussex County Council in December 2022 following a landslip and has faced problems ever since – and has now hit yet another hitch. The road will now not reopen until May 6.

The council had planned to carry out works on banks on either side of the road during the latest closure after removing concrete blocks at the side of the embankments. But a spokesperson said: “We were able to complete the necessary works on one side of the road last week.

The A29 at Church Hill in Pulborough has been plagued with problems since a landslip nearly three and a half years ago

placeholder image — The A29 at Church Hill in Pulborough has been plagued with problems since a landslip nearly three and a half years ago

“However, due to a legal injunction obtained by one of the landowners shortly before we were due to start work, we had to pause the planned works schedule.

“We applied to the court to have the injunction lifted as a priority so we can complete the works. Due to the availability of specialist equipment and the time it takes to move the blocks, we took the decision to keep the road closed whilst we wait for the court’s decision.

“Yesterday (April 29), the court informed us that they will partially lift the injunction, allowing us to carry out the majority of the planned safety works. We will therefore be re-starting the tree works, except for specific trees which remain subject to restrictions.

“In order to do this, we have needed to extend the closure. Whilst an extension of the closure is not ideal, doing so means that we are able to complete more of the required safety work while minimising disruption to local residents.”

The council says the concrete blocks – installed on the side of the road after the landslip in December 2022 – will be re-instated and the road reopened by May 6.

The road had been shut for months after the landslip before reopening to single-lane traffic, controlled by traffic lights in April 2023. The road has remained single-lane since that time.

Previous delays to resolving the situation were caused by legal wrangles between the county council and the owners of land by the embankment.