A24 Alliance

 

Press Release

 

For Immediate Release                    24th April 2003

 

The policy of divide and rule and political impotence were among the subjects discussed at the latest meeting hosted by the A24 Alliance⁽¹⁾ and held in Capel Village Memorial Hall, Wednesday April 23.

 

Speaker after speaker voiced their concern over the way both West Sussex and Surrey County Councils were trying to steamroller through their master plan for the A24. It was said the complete scheme had been divided into two sections, with differing levels of interest to the views of residents who live close to the road.

 

When one speaker questioned the political accountability for the scheme and posed ‘whom should I vote for in the May Election’ there were roars of laughter. This brought forward a very detailed explanation of how the need, design and alignment of the road were mainly taken by the un-elected Regional Government.

 

Peter Finch for the A24 Alliance Said: “We have now had seven public meetings⁽²⁾ at various villages along the A24, at every meeting local residents raise the same basic concerns. They are. 1. The speed and volume of traffic at present. 2. Lack of consultation on the proposed scheme. 3. Honesty about the reason for the grade separated junctions. 4. Honesty about new housing to be built adjacent to the road.

 

Residents accept the case made by the councils for the road to be made safe, what they refuse to accept is that the road becomes a superhighway attracting even more long distance traffic from the M25”.

 

Finally Peter Finch said: “Clearly the councils are too frightened by the siren voices of the road building lobby to control the growth of traffic on the County’s roads. They are only too willing to settle for an easy life and adopt the old predict and provide policy of massive road schemes which has given us today’s congestion. In any case as was pointed out at the Capel meeting, what’s the use of using your vote to change the council when the real power of decision making lies with Regional Government and they’re un-elected and therefore unaccountable”.

 

-Ends-

 

Notes for Editors.

 
(1) 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. 
(2) The A24 Alliance has been holding meetings since January with residents of the Villages along the length of the A24 to gauge opinion on the future role of the road. 

Directions and details of the next few meeting can be found at: http://www.a24alliance.co.uk/

 

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