A27 options will turn Chichester into a '˜concrete jungle'

The A27 options presented will descend roads into '˜absolute mayhem' for anyone in the Manhood Peninsula, said one resident at today's consultation.
Residents looking at options for the A27 Chichester Bypass at the Bracklesham consultation.Residents looking at options for the A27 Chichester Bypass at the Bracklesham consultation.
Residents looking at options for the A27 Chichester Bypass at the Bracklesham consultation.

This was just one of the many opinions shared at the public exhibition in Bracklesham Barn, which saw residents raise concerns from the environmental impact to the increase in traffic through the southern villages.

Debbie Kilhams, from Donnington, said: “The northern option is the only option.

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“The choices on the table will not help the manhood peninsula at all.

“If any of these options go forward the roads will be absolute mayhem for anyone who lives south.

“It will be traffic standstill on the Stockbridge link road, people will be using the rabbit roads to compensate and the traffic on those will get worse too.”

Debbie added: “I haven’t seen anything on the impact on the environment in any of these options, what legacy will we be leaving our children behind if we are putting roads everywhere? Nothing but a concrete jungle.”

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Elizabeth Covell from West Wittering agreed that the landscape has to be protected, however she does not believe a northern route is the way forward.

She said: “Nothing is going to last long term.

“The best option would be a northern bypass but I am not selfish enough to wish for that and see all the beautiful South Downs torn up.

“If they had a road north and the A27 eventually they will want to fill in everything between with road and houses.”

However, Tony Rickards said: “A northern route is the best option, but option two definitely looks the best out of what we are presented with.

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“What does not appear on any of these options is the impact on the beach traffic.

“What they should have is a park and ride facilities for people wanting to go to West Wittering beach, that would free up a lot of the traffic.”

Mr Rickards, from West Wittering, continued to say that the options offered only cater for the ‘through’ traffic, and not for those travelling from the north or south.

“If we had a northern bypass there would still be an option in the future to develop the A27,” he added. “These options we have now will not solve the long term problem.”

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Jill Saphir said: “Any option is an improvement. It has been bad for so many years.

“Fishbourne Roundabout is so dangerous, especially when you are coming from the Fishbourne direction.

She added: “I like the idea of the lights controlling the traffic because there won’t be any pushing in.

“They have built all these new houses and brought in young families but they haven’t done anything to help these families out.

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“I feel so sorry for those who have to get up early to join onto the A27 – there is no way I would live here if I had to do the daily commute.”

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