Political opinion: Andrew Griffith slams Labour’s plans to cancel A27 Arundel Bypass

This is a contributed party political press release. This website and its associated newspapers support no political party and it does not necessarily reflect our views. We consider contributed releases from all lawful parties as part of the vibrant debate in the run-up to the General Election and would encourage all candidates to use this platform to positively explain their vision and policies for their local communities.

Businesses and residents will be impacted by the news. Andrew Griffith said, “The decision condemns motorists across the county to endless delays as well as villages including Storrington, Arundel, Pulborough – who will suffer the continuing misery of congestion that causes pollution and rat running.”

Today’s announcement categorically states that a Labour government would target the cancellation of the Arundel Bypass to pay for potholes. This is not the first time they have targeted the local road improvement. The original bypass was stopped midway at Crossbush when Labour introduced their New Deal for Transport in 1997. The Crossbush junction is notorious for terrible delays and which is why successive Conservative governments have committed funding in the Road Investment Strategy. National Highways have run extensive consultations and they announced the preferred route in 2020.

While the A27 scheme had been delayed by National Highways for further important surveys, it remains a fully-costed and planned scheme with an anticipated start date of 2025.

Labour’s planned cancellation will have considerable consequences for business already operating in the county who rely on reliable road transport links and connectivity between functional economic areas. A well-performing A27 is critical to ambitions of local economic growth.

It also impacts rural residents, the majority of whom rely on their motor cars to get to work, shops and towns. While the Conservative-run West Sussex County Council have introduced new dial-a-bus schemes for rural areas, including in Barnham, Petworth, Fittleworth and Fernhurst, a car is still essential for many households.

Andrew Griffith said: “Labour’s announcement today is an attack on our rural communities, and this is just the beginning. They clearly don’t understand what is needed to help the local economy grow, and to protect our rural villages.

“It is also ludicrous for Arundel SCATE to say that new roads bring more cars onto our roads. Dual carriageways and bypasses do not create traffic, they take fast and heavy traffic away from quiet rural roads. We must make roads safer and we must keep the Arundel Bypass in the roads delivery programme.”