‘Forgotten’ communities at risk if rail crossing is axed

The warning from Arun Ham ward Labour councillor Mike Northeast came as West Sussex County Council held public consultation exhibitions, ending yesterday (Wednesday, September 17), on proposals for the Lyminster bypass.

The displays, in St Mary’s Church, Lyminster, on Friday and Saturday, and at the Manor House, Littlehampton, on Tuesday and yesterday, mentioned the ‘potential’ closure of the crossing once the bypass was built and replaced the old A284 route between Wick and Arundel.

Mr Northeast said he was in favour of the bypass and had pressed for it to be built, but was concerned that communities either side of the Lyminster crossing would be forgotten.

“Everybody has plumped for the easy option of shutting the crossing and no one has thought about what will happen to the hundreds of people either side of it. They will lose their bus service, so those living north of the crossing won’t be able to get down to the Morrisons supermarket or the other shops at Wick and the new medical facilities planned for the old Body Shop site. Those south of the crossing won’t have a direct route to Arundel any more.

“It’s likely that the 700 bus which goes to Arundel up the A284 will be diverted onto the bypass, taking it away from a sizeable chunk of its income from that route. It’s heavily used by people from the Body Shop roundabout at Wick all the to Lyminster.

“Is that going to throw that service into the red and make it vulnerable? Unlike affluent areas such as Chichester and Horsham, Littlehampton gets no subsidy for buses.”

Mr Northeast called for the crossing to be kept open for light, local traffic only, with larger vehicles using the bypass. He questioned whether there would be room at the site of the crossing, once it was closed, for a footbridge carrying pedestrians, mobility scooters and cyclists.

Terri Tanner, 67, who lives on the Thornlea Park mobile home site, north of the crossing, voiced her own fears after visiting the exhibition on Friday.

She said: “We would be really cut off if they close the crossing. There are a lot of older people, including myself, who need that bus service. No one could give me any answers about what would happen to the bus.”