Council officers '˜will work on A27 solution'

An A27 solution will be worked on by officers from both the district and county council to meet the September funding deadline, Chichester District Council heard this afternoon.
CDC leader Tony DignumCDC leader Tony Dignum
CDC leader Tony Dignum

Council leader Tony Dignum faced questions from councillors, who were concerned the solution he detailed at last night’s community workshop had been presented as a ‘fait accompli’ at when it had not been passed by the council.

Cllr Dignum said officers would work together and whatever was agreed would go through council and a public consultation, but ‘unfortunately, everyone had the idea that every option was on the table, which it never has been’.

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He said: “I think in the heat of the moment, I used the word inadvertently ‘decision’.

“It was of course, not a decision, it was a straw poll. It doesn’t commit the council in any way.

“What we need to do now is to work together to find some solution.”

He added that he had not managed to finish what he had wanted to say at the ‘so-called community workshop’ but his proposal was a mix of existing elements in options previously put forward by Highways England and not anything new.

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Cllr Simon Oakley expressed doubts in a design which cllr Dignum had run past Highways England executives in a meeting lasting one hour, but cllr Dignum responded it depended on the people being met with.

There was no vote on the proposal as the discussion was part of a question time.