The Worthing-Lancing public consultation will take place from 19 July 2017 to 12 September 2017.

Click here for details.

To all in the Sompting A27 Rural Group (SARG), and all who work, live in or just enjoy the Sompting Downs:

We need to fix a meeting date which as many of us as possible can make, during the consultation.

The suggested aim of the meeting would be, to share ideas and info and where possible reach agreement on

1. Our understanding of the proposed options which will be announced on 19 July;
2. How the various options would affect access into and out of the rural areas north of the Sompting Bypass
3. How we might be able to further any shared interests of this Group both in our individual responses and in our collective response.

This group originally formed in response to a renewed threat that an offline Bypass through the National Park north of Sompting and Broadwater might be proposed.  The paper we presented to Highways England and the National Park Authority during the A27 Feasibility Study was effective in helping that get taken off the agenda – alongside the sheer cost of it.  Although there has been talk of possible increases to the Worthing-Lancing A27 budget, it does not seem likely that a Sompting downland bypass proposal will be revived in the present consultation. 

Our principal aims from the perspective of this Group’s remit might be (not in any particular order):

1. The access into and out of rural areas north of the Sompting Bypass is vital both to local businesses and residents in this area, and those who need to visit them, and to the many from the wider community who love to visit this lovely landscape area in the National Park – and will want to do so in increasing number provided they can get in and out of it.  We aim to make sure they will still be able to ie no side road closures on the north side of the Sompting Bypass.
2. If the Sompting Bypass remains a high speed wide dual carriageway section without calming, and there are no longer the present gaps between waves of traffic leaving the traffic lights, then the waiting times to get out may become unacceptably long.  We aim to ensure this situation is avoided ie we seek a reduction in waiting times approaching or leaving the side roads north of the Sompting Bypass.
3. We also want to be satisfied that as a result of traffic along the A27 in this area flowing better, rat-running both through Sompting Village and through the Sompting Downs, will be reduced.
4. Opportunities to cross the A27 Sompting Bypass on foot and by cycle should be improved, likewise the cycling opportunity in both directions along the north side of the Sompting Bypass.

If you would like to express your views on these aims, and their order of priority for you, or to suggest other aims, or to be added to our mailing list and participate in the planned meeting, please use the Contact page on www.somptingestate.com to tell the SARG coordinator via the Estate.