Last week’s closure of the eastbound lane of the A27 from Lancing Manor to the Shoreham flyover was a chaotic reminder of just how reliant we are on this stretch of road. Highways England had a reasonable explanation of the ‘perfect storm’ of elements which caused it – multi-vehicle crash, ‘inactivated' grit being washed away by water run-off from the Downs and subsequent flooding turning to ice. What they didn’t have a reasonable explanation for was the appallingly poor communication of exactly what had happened to drivers left stranded.
Hence, I had to chase National Highways (or whatever they are called this week!) to find out what was going on and make sure they were doing everything possible to reopen the road and posted the information on my own social media platforms, before a site visit on Friday. Constituents will remember when this stretch of road was badly flooded and closed over Christmas around 10 years ago and the subsequent laying of new drains along the route. What I suspect was never completed was the drain link into New Monks Farm opposite Withey Patch and drains have also been allowed to clog up.
I have chased National Highways to investigate this and with the new development at New Monks Farm requiring substantial engineering to pump water away it is crucial that the whole drainage system is fit for purpose both for road users and the new residents. Meanwhile IKEA are still remaining tight-lipped about to whom they are selling the site they bought there. They last told me that they had short-listed 3 bidders but a decision was due to be made last Autumn. I still have hopes that it can become a high-tech business park providing much needed expansion space for local businesses but without the 2 million customers that IKEA projected.
This Saturday we will be holding street surgeries at either end of the constituency starting in Southwick Square from 11-12.30 followed by Findon Valley (near Tesco) from 1.30 – 3pm. See you there.
