A259 works set to go ahead after delay fear is scotched

The A259 will be subject to ?14.8million works, including the dualling of this section of the carriageway SUS-151216-084812001

Highways bosses feared the project’s progress could be hindered as its business case was dependant on delivery of the delayed southern section of the Lyminster bypass.

Following West Sussex County Council’s talks with Coast to Capital local Local Enterprise Partnership – which is providing more than half of the funds – the works have been given the green light.

Arun District Council cabinet member for planning and infrastructure Ricky Bower welcomed the news.

Speaking at a meeting of the joint east Arun area committee on Tuesday, he said: “It is extremely good news and picks up on the point we have made consistently that we were somewhat alarmed at the prospect that the A259 was dependant on the Lyminster bypass.”

News of the potential delay was met with concern by councillors in September.

The committee heard North Littlehampton developers Persimmon, tasked with delivery of the southern section of the bypass, encountered issues with the sewerage network.

This had led to a delay in building the required number of homes to deliver the road.Traffic modelling data used to demonstrate the need for the A259 works assumed the bypass would be open.

This raised questions as to whether the business case would need to be redrawn.

Bob Lanzer, county council cabinet member for highways and transport said: ““We have always been confident that this important scheme will be brought forward in the current programme with support from the LEP and I’m delighted that they have taken a sensible position on what is really a traffic modelling technicality”.

The project is expected to include dualling of single carriageway sections between Worthing and Littlehampton, improved cycling and pedestrian routes and tweaks to junctions and roundabouts.

Mr Bower said the scheme was only going forward with the help of funds from developers. He said this was through section 106 monies, not another scheme called Total Access Demand (TAD) which Arun was last week criticised for not taking up.