A24 Alliance

Press Release

For Immediate Release 31st March 2003

Washington Village Residents voiced their determination to protect the environment if the feared motorwayisation of the A24 is approved. These strongly made comments were heard at the latest, of the meetings that are taking place at various venues along the length of the A24 for concerned residents.

Speaking after the meeting Peter Finch for the A24 Alliance⁽¹⁾ said: "Even though Washington has a bypass, the grief from traffic rat-running through the village hasn't gone away. The meeting heard that the problem has now become so serious that residents want the old A24 - the Bostal road - stopped up. Several residents had noted a marked increase of traffic on the A283, and claimed it was this that was causing the rat-running as motorist tried to avoid the A24 bypass/A283 roundabout. However residents reject a flyover there, preferring instead traffic management schemes".

Peter Finch added: "The meeting⁽²⁾ reassured the residents that amongst the aims of the A24 Alliance is for a safe local route for the local, county-wide, community and not for long-distance through traffic. That it respects the amenities of people who live alongside the road and of the people who live in the broader community. Is safe for all who use the road whether by car, public transport, cycling or on foot and is safe for all who want to cross the road".

Concluding Peter Finch said: "It's clear from the 4 meeting held so far that residents do prefer traffic management to road building schemes. Whilst the residents of Ashington, Dial Post, Southwater and Washington have bypasses that were designed to take traffic out of the villages, traffic is still a problem for them and it's getting worse. One reason for this could be that land became available between village and bypass for new housing and their multi car owning families. The extra traffic generated is causing pollution and difficulty as it tries to join other commuter traffic on the A24. For the non car user they have to dice with death crossing the road to catch the buss".

Your readers may like to know that the next residents meeting will be held at the Gun Inn, High Street Findon on Wednesday, April 9th starting 7.30pm.

(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/