For
the 24 Alliance Peter Finch said: "The A24 schemes for Ashington to
Southwater and Horsham to Capel should not be included in the Regional
Assembly's list of priority schemes for the next two five year periods from
2011 to 2021, or at any time in the future.
In
our view neither of these schemes has much to do with safety, but everything
to do with West Sussex's aims of making an M24 motorway from the Sussex Coast
to the M25. The A24 is as safe as most other roads after the minor roadwork's
done to these sections of the A24 in the last few years. Why the County
Council seems to want to promote increased use of the car, when everyone says
that the car is such a big contributor to global warming, is beyond us. What
is more, neither of these schemes meets the Government's, and West Sussex
County Council's, demands that the limited amount of money available should be
spent on transport schemes for the new housing being built in the South
East".
The
A24 Alliance notes that of the 39 schemes the SEERA's planning officers give
the highest priority ranking, only five fail to meet the highest levels of
policy compatibility. One of these is the Horsham to Capel proposal. One, the
lowest ranked of all, is the Ashington to Southwater idea. Peter Finch said:
"We are surprised that the planners working for the Regional Assembly are
even suggesting to the Regional Transport Board that these two schemes for
rural Sussex and Surrey should get a higher ranking than schemes for the
growing Thames Gateway and Milton Keynes areas. When the Regional Transport
Board get to vote on their recommended list at their meeting on 27 October, we
fully expect these Ashington to Southwater and Horsham to Capel schemes to be
dropped in favour of those schemes supporting the future growth areas."
ENDS.
Editors’ notes.
The A24 Alliance was formed in January 2003 by a number of residents who live in
the various villages and individual locations along the A24 from Dorking to
Worthing.
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