Six councillors for wards that include Upper Shoreham Road have written to West Sussex County Council calling for action on building a cycle lane on that road. We believe school students, children, families, people going to work or enjoying their leisure time should have the choice of cycling safely.

Walking and cycling are the cheapest, healthiest ways of getting around for many people. Action is needed.

Here is the letter to the county council:

To: West Sussex County Council Officers and elected representatives, Department for Transport, Active Travel England

We are writing this open letter to you as Adur District Councillors whose wards include Upper Shoreham Road in Shoreham by Sea. We believe schoolchildren, families, people going to work or enjoying their leisure time should have the choice of cycling safely. This is why we support a cycle lane on Upper Shoreham Road.

We are dismayed and disappointed by the recently announced proposals of West Sussex County Council to supposedly improve road safety and active travel on and around Upper Shoreham Roadi. In our view, these plans are unambitious, piecemeal and wasteful. They do not take account of the significant planning and consultation which has already taken place or, more importantly, the existing policy of Adur District Council.

We believe that West Sussex County Council should now be ready to bid for funds from the Department for Transport / Active Travel England for safe cycling and walking infrastructure for the entire Upper Shoreham Road, from Holmbush to the Steyning Road junction. We remind officers and representatives that this has been repeatedly identified as a primary route for improved infrastructure and we demand that this be actively pursued.

Adur District Council has a very clear and detailed policy for a network of cycling and walking infrastructure throughout our district. The Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan was first agreed unanimously in June 2020 and then recently reinforced in a further resolution at our last full Council meeting on 21st July 2022. Adur District Council’s leader, Councillor Neil Parkin, also recently assured the public that an Upper Shoreham Road cycle scheme “hadn’t been rejected or ruled out” and that he had instructed two cabinet colleagues who were “working somewhat ferociously” to make it happen.

This plan provides a very clear way forward and is based on data-driven planning, central Government guidance, public consultation and ‘best-practice’ models.

The plan very specifically identifies Upper Shoreham Road and the A259 coast road as primary corridors travelling east to west, from Brighton to Worthing, and assisting many shorter journeys in Shoreham – eg. getting to school, shopping, leisure activities.

In addition to the Adur District Council plan and policy, West Sussex County Council has clear instruction from the Department for Transport on the nature of walking and cycle infrastructurevi. It has undertaken its own consultation and design (at a cost of around £250k) which supported infrastructure on this route, and it has its own walking and cycling strategyix which is being ignored.

We fear that West Sussex County Council are at risk of repeating previous errors when approaching the Department for Transport or Active Travel England for fundingx. They are building in years of delay in their current approach rather than taking the much-needed opportunity to enhance the safety and environment of this vital connecting route for the people of Shoreham by Sea.

In summary, we do not support the current suggested plans of West Sussex County Council, as they do not focus on the primary routes identified in Adur and Worthing Council’s Local Walking and Cycling Plan (LCWIP). We call upon West Sussex County Council to build a cycle lane along the Upper Shoreham Road from the Steyning Road junction to the Holmbush roundabout with the support of the Department for Transport and Active Travel England.

Yours,

• Councillor Catherine Arnold – St Mary’s Ward, Shoreham
• Councillor Gabe Crisp – St Nicolas Ward, Shoreham
• Councillor Dan Flower – Southlands Ward, Shoreham
• Councillor Jeremy Gardner – St Mary’s Ward, Shoreham
• Councillor Julian Shinn – St Nicolas Ward, Shoreham
• Councillor Debs Stainforth – Southlands Ward, Shoreham