LETTER: Concerns over coming closure

I read, with interest, the article regarding pollution levels in Shoreham High Street (Shoreham Herald, March 30) and share the concerns expressed, particularly given the recent research reported in The Lancet, relating traffic pollution (vehicle exhaust and tyre and brake particulate) to dementia.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Apr 2017, 10:23 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 19:06 BST

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Another example of likely increased traffic pollution and the somewhat less than enthusiastic response from the relevant authorities (the Environment Agency, in this case) arises from the proposal to raise the level of the A283 level as part of the Adur Tidal Walls scheme.

This is an extremely busy road, being the only road from Shoreham giving east and west access to the A27, and traffic pollution levels are probably already high.

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My concern, as a nearby resident, is that pollution levels will be increased by what will be, in effect, an elongated speed hump – a concern substantiated by the recent NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommendations that consideration should be

given to phasing out road speed humps because it was found that they materially increase pollution.

The response of the Environment Agency to residents’ concerns was that there would be not be any long-term changes in air quality as a result of the scheme, which seems to us as unconvincing, given the NICE work, and the promise of post-construction pollution monitoring and if necessary unspecified countermeasures is not encouraging.

Inter alia, it will be necessary to close the A283 for some three months during the road level change – with clearly an attendant economic cost to the greater Adur area.

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The Environment Agency claims that the proposed A283 level change – even allowing for the economic cost to the closure – will be cheaper than, say, the most obvious alternative of continuing to raise the level of the old railway track as far as the old cement works.

I have tried, without success, to obtain the relevant figures, particularly the economic costs, from the Environment Agency. In fact, I wonder how many local businesses and others are aware of the proposed closure?

Eric Cleobury

The Paddock

Shoreham

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Related topics:Environment AgencyA27