Highway plans slammed

A MULTI-million scheme to improve the A27 between Lewes and Polegate has been condemned as massive and unnecessary by the A27 Action Group which has been opposed to 'super highway' development there for more than 10 years.

Halcrow are in the final stages of preparing a strategy for the Department of Transport which includes spending 23 million on dual-carriageway motorway junctions at Southerham and Beddingham and a huge flyover crossing the railway at Beddingham.

Alan Chapman, spokesman for the group, said; 'We are horrified that these massive schemes have returned to haunt us. 'The proposals offer little if any benefit, at a huge cost both financially and on the environment.

'Proposals like these have been demonstrated as failures in the past and have no place in modern transport strategies. What benefits they offer could be achieved sooner, cheaper and with far less impact on the environment.

'The report is supposed to address all modes of transport but within its 80 pages, only four are given over to bus and rail with no real discussion of cycling or walking. This is a roads programme by any other name.'

Safety

The Action Group commissioned a safety study more than 10 years ago which suggested that the A27 was no more unsafe than the national average.

It is calling for speed cameras to be installed this year which would pay for themselves as well as address safety.

'Halcrow claims that their proposals will reduce congestion but this is marginal and only applies to westbound traffic during the peak rush-hour period,' added Mr Chapman.

'The best case saving at rush-hour is less than 11 minutes westbound and only three minutes eastbound but that still leaves congestion at the Cuilfail tunnel and the Phoenix roundabout into Lewes or the Ashcombe roundabout on the A27 west of Lewes.

'Spending millions on massive new roads merely moves the congestion to the next pinch point on the network. The Cuilfail tunnel or Ashcombe roundabout are already congested. Building new roads will make them worse.'

Lewes MP Norman Baker this week described the scheme as 'an unappetising serving of heated up leftovers'. It was disappointing and unimaginative, he added.