LETTER: North route is logical and fair

While not directly affected I feel very strongly that the only sensible, logical and fair route for the new road is the Northern route.The fact that it runs through large rural swathes of land owned by the Goodwood estate is immaterial.

The main reason for taking this option is because the whole long building stage would not involve more than the minimum disruption to the already awful traffic congestion whereas a southerly route would foul up all roads and the living conditions for thousands of people living to the south of the city. And the end result is far from ideal.

Much of the northern route is on agricultural land where construction would be very straightforward. It would affect Goodwood Estate but not its main downland areas, and very few houses. There would be objections on any route but most on the northern route would be with the March family and much easier to handle surely in one big deal? There would also be far fewer junctions to accommodate, far fewer settlements and, as mentioned above, far fewer individual parties to deal with.

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It would not affect the airfield, the golf courses, the racetrack or the Rolls Royce factory and indeed would provide a vastly improved access to all the functions on the Goodwood Estate, as well as freeing the residents south of the city from the constant traffic jams they face today and which will only get worse.

If one starts off from placing the road immediately to the north of the old racing circuit and then following the shortest route east and west it really is quite logical, although obviously one accepts there will be some houses affected and compensation due. It could then return to the present A27 at the Tangmere roundabout at the east end, and the most suitable place east of Funtingdon to the west.

It is good news to see there are some in the local council who can now see the absurdity of the totally short sighted ideas so far expressed, which have led to the decisions and subsequent delays in coming to the logical choice. It is good too that the local press, in the form of the Observer, have taken such a strong lead in bringing about this welcome change of heart.

West Sussex has been and will remain blighted for the next century unless commonsense prevails with regards to the sighting of this main east west highway. An ongoing shortcoming of officialdom, at both county and governmental level, which has increasingly blighted West Sussex and its transport system for the past 40 years. Thank goodness some realism is now appearing.

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The same problem has adversely affected the area with the appalling road structure between Chichester and Arundel, through to Worthing, to the detriment of all locals and road users. I well remember the Department of Transport purchasing many houses through Worthing in preparation for constructing that section, back, I think, in the sixties and then a decade or so later putting them all back on the market because of Labour Government policy. What a lost opportunity! The Arundel section too? Great road to the Crossbush junction and then, because of a couple of badger setts, a crested newt and short sighted politicians, the travelling public has continued to suffer huge frustration at endless delays. The fuel/working hours lost, due to this ineptitude is almost incalculable.

The cost of traffic jams, frustration of all users has been and will remain something the various authorities bear huge responsibility for until the nettle is grasped. The absurdity of inflicting the south side of Chichester with the endless delays and added congestion, as road building and diversions continue is almost beyond comprehension.

The only progressive road scheme built in the area in the past 60 or so years is the excellent new Northern Bognor Relief road which has improved traffic flow beyond belief. Built avoiding largely, active road schemes, its construction hardly caused any traffic delays. As would taking the route north of Chichester city.

N J Adames

Flansham