Titnore Lane residents celebrate footpath success

Residents of Titnore Lane have celebrated a victory in their campaign to get a footpath built.
DM1822315a.jpg. Barry Burks, far left and beside him, cllr Sean McDonald with local residents celebrating the success of their campaign for a footpath along part of Titnor Lane, Durrington. Photo by Derek Martin Photography. SUS-180217-171119008DM1822315a.jpg. Barry Burks, far left and beside him, cllr Sean McDonald with local residents celebrating the success of their campaign for a footpath along part of Titnor Lane, Durrington. Photo by Derek Martin Photography. SUS-180217-171119008
DM1822315a.jpg. Barry Burks, far left and beside him, cllr Sean McDonald with local residents celebrating the success of their campaign for a footpath along part of Titnor Lane, Durrington. Photo by Derek Martin Photography. SUS-180217-171119008

Barry Burks has spent a year trying to get gaps in the footpath along the busy road in Goring filled in by West Sussex County Council after his wife Jean had a close shave with a passing car.

Now, West Sussex County Council’s Highways Department announced it had accepted the proposed scheme submitted to them by Mr Burks, and subject to budget approval and other factors it would be designed this year and built next year.

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The 71-year-old retired electrical design engineer said it was ‘great news’: “I’m pleased they are taking it to the next stage; some don’t even get that far.

“It means a lot to me, because it saves me getting knocked by cars. It’s crazy.”

Barry took action after his wife Jean and two friends were brushed by a passing car’s wing mirror in Titnore Lane in December 2016, months after moving into one of the newly built homes there.

He started a petition to fill 300 yards of missing sections of footpath along the half-mile stretch of Titnore Lane between Titnore Way and the A2032. With the support of the then-mayor of Worthing and West Sussex County Councillor Sean McDonald, Mr Burks obtained 801 signatures.

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These included members of the nearby West Worthing Club and the Northbrook Farm Caravan and Motorhome Club, which are both affected. Northbrook College also wrote to Mr Burks to back the campaign.

West Sussex County Council said a meeting was due to take place on Friday where this proposal would be discussed.

Mr Burks said his next campaign would be to get the speed limit restricted to 40mph along the road, a notorious accident hotspot, and banning juggernauts from using the road.