Cycleway and walkway route for A24 north of Worthing agreed

West Sussex County Council has also allocated £1.2million for the project.

This scheme is proposed to connect the South Downs National Park gateway of Findon village with Findon Valley and its businesses, whilst enabling onward connections to Worthing and the Sussex coast via the existing cycle network.

The proposal looks to introduce cycling and walking facilities between High Street, Findon, and an existing shared-use cycling and walking facility on the A24’s east side south of its junction with Lime Tree Avenue, Findon Valley.

An off-road, three metre-wide shared-use cycle and pedestrian facility is proposed on the A24’s east side between its junctions with High Street and May Tree Avenue.

Existing footways will be widened to achieve the three metre width.

The route will change at the A24’s junction with May Tree Avenue. Cyclists will be directed to an on-road section using May Tree Avenue and Lime Tree Avenue, which will be waymarked with traffic signs and road markings.

This will connect with the existing shared-use cycling and walking facility on the A24’s east side which proceeds southwards from its junction with Lime Tree Avenue towards the A27.

Cyclists will be expected to share the May Tree Avenue and Lime Tree Avenue carriageways with other road users.

Pedestrians are anticipated to use the existing A24 footways between its junctions with May Tree Avenue and Lime Tree Avenue, including those fronting the Findon Valley shops.

An initial engagement exercise was carried out in spring 2021 before a public engagement exercise between July and August.

A total of 685 responses were received during the latter, with a ‘deeply polarising split’ between those supporting and opposing a cycle scheme along the A24 between Findon village and Findon Valley - 50 per cent strongly supported or supported such measures, while 41 per cent opposed or strongly opposed the same.

The money comes from a £2.35m award from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund given to the county council in November 2020.

An option for an entirely off-road route on the A24’s east side between its junctions with the High Street and Lime Tree Avenue was prepared and presented to stakeholders, but Cissbury’s county councillor, supported by Offington ward representatives and MP Tim Loughton indicated a preference for an on-road route ‘as constituents had conveyed safety concerns surrounding the potential for conflict between cyclists and the elderly and vulnerable’.

WSCC officers ‘consider the change to an on-road route within the Cissbury electoral division will provide significant construction cost savings’.

Joy Dennis, cabinet member for highways and transport, has now approved the revised scheme, subject to the council’s usual call-in period.

She said: “This 2km-long route will provide a link for those wanting to opt for a more active way of travelling to see one of the county’s stunning attractions – the South Downs: there will be a link for pedestrians and people on bikes to the Cissbury Ring car park off Storrington Rise.

“The new route also has the advantage of linking in with an existing cycleway south of the Findon Valley shops, towards the A27 and a signed route into Worthing town centre.”

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