Plan to close U-turn on A27 sparks anger in Lancing - 'Inappropriate and totally unnecessary'

This comes following the creation of a new roundabout on the A27 east of Lancing. Following months of roadworks, the development by National Highways was completed earlier this week to give access to the New Monks Farm development and ‘provide better links to Brighton City Airport’.

Now, National Highways intends to close the Hoe Court U-turn.

Peter Philips, route manager for the South East, said: "The Hoe Court U-turn closure is part of the developers proposals for improving traffic arrangements to serve the New Monks Farm Development.

"The scheme was assessed to offer the right balance between safely upgrading what is a busy junction and dealing with the congestion at the same time.

“We welcome all views and we will continue to work closely with all local authorities in the area."

Bill Freeman, secretary of the Lancing Manor South East Residents Network, said the 140 households and businesses who use this U-turn ‘unanimously object to its closure’.

He added: “They know it has had a good safety record for over 45 years. The New Monks Farm roundabout is already over capacity for traffic using the eastbound carriageway so this would be an additional two thirds of a mile on people’s journeys.

"It will have an impact on the environment and will become totally unsustainable. Such is the local opinion, 50 to 60 members of the local community have submitted objections to the National Highways consultation.”

Adur Residents Action Network chairman Barbara O'Kelly said the closure will create an ‘additional 12 tonnes of carbon emissions’ as well as the ‘extra fuel from more than 40,000 vehicle miles a year’, adding: “This diversion is not sustainable.

"For that reason alone, this closure should be seriously reconsidered.

"We are aware of significant adverse impacts on quality of life that local residents are experiencing. Frequent gridlock is affecting all A27 users including A259 in Shoreham, Lancing and Worthing.

"We request this is not further added to by closing what is a very well known, well-managed, safe turn for those who have to use it."

In a ‘statement of reasons’ document, National Highways argued that the gaps are ‘no longer required’ owing to the closure of Old Shoreham Road and Coombes Road between their junction with the A27 – and the new access roads being built feeding into the roundabout.

A statement read: “The gap east of Hoe Court is similarly better served by using the new roundabout to reverse direction of travel.”

However, Lee Cowen, Labour’s Adur district councillor for Mash Barn Ward, Lancing, said the closure will ‘adversely affect’ businesses and residents who will be ‘forced onto the light controlled roundabout’ to ‘navigate three sets of lights’.

"Many people are not aware that this roundabout will just be a glorified Sussex pad junction not dissimilar to Grove Lodge roundabout,” he said.

"We've had complaints about this closure. I posted letters to all the people affected by it.”

Residents locally have reportedly been informed the U-turn could be closed off as early as July. It come after residents were given under three weeks to have a say about the proposal.

In a draft letter on his Facebook page, Mr Cowen wrote: “I strenuously object to this closure and the lack of time given for public comment.

"With its closure, all vehicles which currently use that U-turn will be made to complete the U-turn by continuing on with eastbound traffic to execute the turn at the new light-controlled roundabout for New Monks Farm/the Airport/Lancing College. That's three sets of traffic lights on the roundabout.“That will add two thirds of a mile (one km) to the journey involved for multiple daily users of the existing u-turn – thousands of additional vehicle miles per year.“Firstly, I challenge that the U-turn is unsafe. It has been available for over 40 years. Like all other residents, I take great care when completing that turn.

"In my experience, I have never seen an accident there. This proposal is simply financially and environmentally unsustainable. It’s a complete waste of public money, better spent on repairing the many potholed roads in the country.

"Please withdraw this inappropriate and totally unnecessary closure.”

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