National Highways ran several consultations on the Arundel Bypass between 2017 and 2022. In 2019, the public voted overwhelmingly against Grey Route, and yet NH chose it as their preferred option.
This page includes information about Grey Route damage and on how NH misled the public. Any large offline bypass through the National Park or surrounding villages would have a similar impact.
National Highways claimed that Grey Route would ‘limit air and light pollution, protecting our local environment’.
This is untrue. Grey Route would have added to air and light pollution, severely damaged the environment, and caused an increase in traffic and carbon emissions.
These images show some of the beautiful places and wildlife that would have been severely impacted by Grey Route, or any offline bypass.
Common spotted orchids, Tortington
Binsted
The River Arun at Tortington
Purple-emperor butterfly, Tortington
Deer in Binsted Park
Gatekeeper butterfly, Tortington
Arundel and the Arun
Dormice, Binsted
View to Binsted Church
Clouded yellow underside butterfly, Tortington
Brown long-eared bat, Binsted
Spinningwheel Copse, Binsted
Binsted Park
National Highways claimed that Grey Route would ‘connect local communities’.
The truth is that Grey Route would have devastated surrounding communities, separating them from each other, and from the surrounding countryside.
Images show community life in Walberton, Binsted and Tortington, which would have been destroyed by Grey route.
St Mary’s Church, Binsted
Billycan Camping
Binsted Strawberry Fair
Sussex Folk musicians, Binsted
Billycan Camping, Tortington
Binsted Strawberry Fair
Visiting downland sheep, Binsted
St Mary’s Church, Tortington
Binsted Strawberry Fair
Binsted Strawberry Fair
Binsted Arts Festival
Downland sheep, Binsted
A walk to Binsted Park
Strawberry Runner, Binsted
National Highways claimed that Grey Route ‘improvements would ease journeys to work, schools and the shops’.
Their key aims ignore climate change which was not even mentioned in the summary consultation documents. These aims should be fulfilled by making improvements to public transport, bridges and crossing points, footpaths and cycle ways – not by building a new dual carriageway.
National Highways tried to justify road building by implying that it would have a positive impact on South East’s annual £207bn contribution to the economy.
In fact, their proposals make questionable economic sense. NH have estimated that the proposed options could cost up to £600 million, but their own prediction for the maximum economic benefit that a new bypass would bring is just £378 million* - over sixty years.
Increased congestion that a new dual carriageway would bring (away from the road and which they don’t consider), would be bad for the economy. It would make far better sense to invest in a cheaper and more sustainable solution, the Arundel Alternative.
* Figures taken from page 10-13 of Highways England’s Interim Scheme Assessment Report A27 Arundel Bypass – PCF Stage 2 Further Consultation, Aug 2019.
National Highways has already had two Public Consultations on nine different options for the Arundel Bypass, in 2017 and 2019. After two legal challenges were made against the decision, based on faulty and misleading data in the public consultation material, a High Court Judge agreed that ‘something had gone clearly and radically wrong’ with their figures, and NH decided to re-run the consultation. NH announced Grey route as its preferred option in 2021.
National Highways hid the damage that a previous preferred option would do to surrounding villages and woods, with mis-labelled maps, and incorrect ecological data.
National Highways led people to believe that their preferred option would be the best option for reducing traffic in the South Downs. This was shown to be untrue: eight months later in their own Scheme Assessment Report, they revised their figures. All options were shown to give similar traffic relief.
National Highways’ ecological data reported that the presence of rare and endangered bat species was ‘possible, but unlikely’.
Independent reports completed by the Mid Arun Valley Ecological Survey had already told them that biodiversity in Binsted and Tortington is exceptional, with 14 of the UK’s 17 bat species detected.
National Highways led people to believe that their preferred option would be the best value for money. Eight months later, in the Scheme Assessment Report, value for money was reduced from ‘good’ to ‘low’.
