Take Action!
National Highways are holding a public consultation on the shockingly destructive Arundel Bypass ‘Grey Route’, running from 16 Nov - 16 Dec 2022.
RESPOND TO NATIONAL HIGHWAYS STATUTORY CONSULTATION - Say NO!
Whilst NH may say they will not consider options other than their ‘Grey’ route, it is an opportunity to show there are better solutions such as the Arundel Alternative.
How do i respond?
Anyone can respond to this consultation, more than once, raising any issues. You can comment in the NH survey online or on a paper form. You can comment by email or letter. Email responses are best. NH has to log all responses. Details at www.nationalhighways.co.uk/a27arundel.
Email to A27ArundelBypass@nationalhighways.co.uk
Here's a few of the key points to make (please use your own words):
Say that you object to the Grey route altogether, and why. They ask that we only respond to their latest changes, but if we do that, they will claim that fewer people are objecting to the route as such.
It would ruin the villages of Tortington and Binsted and cause more traffic in Walberton and Fontwell. It would ruin the river Arun walks and the setting of Arundel. It would sever a huge, important wildlife area.
It will bring nothing but more peak traffic and more congestion to Worthing, Chichester and villages and towns in between.
National Highways are still mentioning an old budget figure of £320M+. This is well out of date and costs must now be more likely to approach NH’s earlier top range estimate figure of £1.2Bn: Either way it is not the best use of that much public money when there are other higher priority needs.
Building an 8Km new road will incur an enormous carbon footprint in construction, and in its use it would encourage people to take longer, faster and more frequent car journeys. This is not compatible with government and global net zero objectives.
Write to your MP
Once you have responded to the consultation, please share your comments with your MP!
How can I get involved?
Local groups are campaigning against the Grey Route and for better solutions at Arundel. Contact yours to find out how to get involved and help stop the destruction.
Arundel Bypass Neighbourhood Committee: Facebook / Twitter/ Web
Stop the Arundel Bypass Alliance: Facebook / Twitter
What next?
We know that the Arundel Alternative proposal is affordable and avoids the terrible destruction and massive costs of Highways England’s planned route across the Arun valley, the river, through Tortington, Binsted and Walberton. We need you to help ensure decision makers in Whitehall understand this as well.
Could you write a letter or email to support our campaign? You can make this even more effective by sending an Arundel Alternative leaflet (click below to open PDFs in a new window).
What do I write?
A short personal letter or email is fine. A few lines will suffice but don’t hold back. It's up to you to just say what you feel. You don't need any technical rationale, but please ask for the Arundel Alternative to be considered.
Some ideas – if you need any:
• what you will lose personally if Grey route is built;
• your fears about the climate emergency and flooding
• loss of rare or favourite wildlife, ecological crisis, your love of local nature
• history of the landscape, favourite walks
• the waste of money, impacts on local homes, communities and business
• lack of public transport or cycle facilities and domination of cars.
WHO CAN I WRITE TO?
Andrew Griffith MP
Arundel & South Downs
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
Andrew@GriffithMP.com
Rt Hon Therese Coffey MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: therese.coffey.mp@parliament.uk
Mark Harper MP, Secretary of State for Transport: transportsecretary@dft.gov.uk
South Downs National Park Authority: Trevor.Beattie@southdowns.gov.uk
West Sussex County Councillor Gary Markwell: gary.markwell@westsussex.gov.uk
West Sussex County Councillor Trevor Bence: trevor.bence@westsussex.gov.uk
Paul Marshall (West Sussex County Council Leader): Paul.a.marshall@westsussex.gov.uk
Dr James Walsh (Arun District Council Leader): cllr.james.walsh@arun.gov.uk
Joy Dennis (WSCC Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport): joy.dennis@westsussex.gov.uk
Arun District Councillor Faye Catterson: cllr.faye.catterson@arun.gov.uk
Arun District Councillor Paul Dendle: pauldendle@aol.com
Arun District Councillor Grant Roberts: cllr.grant.roberts@arun.gov.uk
Arundel Town Council: townclerk@arundeltowncouncil.gov.uk
Walberton Parish Council clerk@walberton-pc.gov.uk
LOCAL PAPERS
Please write to local newspapers to tell them your views about the Arundel Bypass, and to voice your support for the Arundel Alternative:
Littlehampton Gazette: letters@littlehamptongazette.co.uk
West Sussex County Times: letters@newsletter.co.uk
Chichester Observer: news@chiobserver.co.uk
Bognor Observer: news@bognor.co.uk
The Argus: letters@theargus.co.uk
West Sussex Gazette: WS.Letters@jpress.co.uk
If you wish you express concerns about the consultation process you could also write to Michael Gove MP at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: michael.gove.mp@parliament.uk