Transport show comes to town

CONSULTANTS Halcrow have, at the 11th hour, agreed to hold an exhibition of their southern transport proposals in Lewes.

The South Coast Multi-Modal Study plans will be shown in the Assembly Room of Lewes Town Hall on Thursday from 10am to 9pm.

They include initial proposals to remove bottlenecks on the A27 between Lewes and Polegate.

Lewes MP Norman Baker had hit out at the company for holding its exhibitions in Eastbourne and Hove, but not in Lewes.

He said this week: 'Lewes is an important link in the road and rail network of East Sussex.

'I am pleased they they have at last realised that Lewes needs to be consulted and that it is a very significant issue for the town.'

Meanwhile, a transport pressure group claims the study should urgently address peak period commuter habits.

A27 Action Group spokesman Alan Chapman said: 'The real problem between Lewes and Polegate is the number of cars with one occupant only travelling to work.

'We need a range of measures to make it financially advantageous to car-share and also use public transport.'

Bottlenecks

The transport study is to set a framework of transport options on the south coast, including between Lewes to Polegate where it is currently being suggested that unspecified bottlenecks should be dealt with.

Mr Chapman observed: 'If we are to give priority to local transport problems without increasing overall traffic volumes we need to develop a traffic reduction strategy for the road network in total and avoid the temptation to direct all traffic to the A27.

'Changes to the road capacity should only be considered after all other interventions have been implemented and had time to take effect.

'Halcrow have failed to demonstrate how their proposals for public transport improvements are to be delivered and cannot guarantee that those improvements will be pursued for the period of the strategy.

'We support sustainable regeneration which does not worsen current transport problems, recognising that the strategy must break the link between economic growth and increased travel distances.'

The Action Group concludes: 'The presentation of a preferred strategy at this stage is premature because all the options need to be evaluated and costed.

'The current plan offers little by way of choice and no detail. We are being asked to support a strategy that will limit our capacity to object at future inquiries.

'We suspect that this strategy is simply a Trojan Horse for road building.'