Decision details

West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036 Consultation

Decision Maker: Planning Policy Committee

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

(At the beginning of the item, Councillor Elkins declared a Personal Interest as a Member of West Sussex County Council.)

 

Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Planning Policy and Conservation Team Leader presented his report which sought agreement for its content to form the basis of a formal response from the Council to the West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036 Consultation.

 

Members (and one non-Committee Member) then took part in a full debate on the item where a number of points were raised including:

·       acknowledgement in the report that Arun was the most densely populated part of the County

·       the need for road improvements between Bersted to Chichester, in the short rather than the medium term, and Pagham Road

·       the need to include the journey time between Angmering and Horsham by train which involved a change at Barnham

·       the need for the Arundel Chord railway

·       references to viable transport alternatives to the car and the Arun Active Travel Study but no mention of a school bus programme which would be a big step to reducing congestion and carbon emissions

·       the need for a bridge west of Ford Station and a A27/A259 link opening up the possibility of development in the Ford area

·       previous Section 106 contributions having been declined by Highways England that could have contributed to these improvements

·       concern over the ordering of priorities and fears that once the roads had been built there would not be any money left for any of the other improvements, that the Transport Plan would therefore not meet its objectives of de-carbonising transport and did not demonstrate how targets would be achieved

·       the need for the formal response to contain stronger wording to reflect the seriousness of the situation and the Council’s concerns

 

The Planning Policy and Conservation Team Leader provided Members with answers to all points raised during the debate.

 

The recommendation was then proposed and seconded.

 

The Committee

 

RESOLVED

 

To agree the comments set out in sections 1.8 to 1.12 of the report as the basis for Arun District Council’s formal response to the consultation document Draft West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036.

Report author: Kevin Owen

Publication date: 12/10/2021

Date of decision: 06/10/2021

Decided at meeting: 06/10/2021 - Planning Policy Committee

Accompanying Documents: