Anger over shingle for Selsey

The shingle is being transported as part of the 33,000 cubic metre beach recharge scheme which will extend the life of the sea defences in Selsey by ten years.

Chichester District Council was given a grant of £1m to spend on the defence works by the Department for Farming and Rural Affairs, but the money had to be spent by the end of next spring, otherwise it would be lost permanently.

Normally, the shingle would be transported by sea using a barge but because of the time of year and the need to spend the money by the deadline, the materials have to be transported using heavy goods vehicles.

It is expected that there will be between eight and ten lorry movements a day, for around three months.

Hunston Parish Council discussed the plans at its meeting and said that while it supported the sea defence project for Selsey and accepted that some of the lorries would need to travel through the village, said that the impact on residents needed to be minimised.

It is campaigning to have full lorries be routed along the B2210 to Sidlesham via Donnington, which is quieter and has fewer homes situated directly on the road.

Hunston Parish Council chairman Carol Smith said: “The problem is that the main road goes through Hunston and there are quite a lot of properties – almost a quarter of the village – which front the main road, some exceedingly close.

“Residents already suffer from food lorries and tractors rumbling up and down the road and to have lorries for the Selsey sea defence works coming through the village is just a step too far.

“We think the B2210 is a better route, yes it is a little bit of a bendy road but it is quieter and the lorries aren’t going to meet much traffic coming the other way and it will give the residents of Hunston some relief.”

Mrs Smith said there were concerns for the safety of pedestrians in Hunston, especially schoolchildren during the winter months, as lorries made their way through the village in the dark and that residents were also concerned about damage to their properties which could happen as a result of the lorries travelling through the village.

“We quite understand that the work has to be done, that in itself is not a problem but we don’t think that Hunston should take all of the pain.”

Mrs Smith said that in the past traffic had been directed along the B2210 instead of the B2145, including lorries and that it could be done.

Chichester district councillor for Hunston, Tricia Tull, said: “People see this as a dilemma – people know that Selsey needs to be protected.” she said. “We thought that some of the pressure could be alleviated by directing some of the lorries along the B2210 instead that would be good and we think that Hunston could get some relief from this.”

Clerk of Sidlesham Parish Council, John Paul said people saw the need for the project and that sending lorries through the village was the only solution but asked for care to be shown to people living in the area.

“People are concerned that the road does vibrate through people’s houses, the road is old and doesn’t have much of a foundation.

“People are asking that care and attention is shown to the village when these lorries pass through and that they don’t go thundering through.”