Hundreds back fight to save Oving lights

MORE than 1,000 people have signed a petition to prevent the removal of Oving traffic lights, after those opposed to the scheme took to the streets to spread the word.

Leave Oving Lights Alone (LOLA) campaigners were stationed at the Oving crossroads on the A27 from 7am to midday on January 9 and handed out around 2,500 leaflets to vehicles queuing at the lights.

Cllr Sjoerd Schuyleman, who is one of the leading lights of LOLA, said the number of signatures had rocketed after the hard morning’s work on drawing commuters’ attention to the issue.

“The really good news is that from when we started the petition to the morning before we left to go, 520 people had signed up,” he told fellow councillors at a meeting of Oving Parish Council. “When we got home that was 120 people higher.

At the time of writing 1,273 people had signed the petition.

Cllr Liz Smith gathered feedback from motorists while they waited at the lights, and said many were shocked at the news plans were afoot to remove the lights.

She reported Eastergate residents using the crossroads were furious as they saw it as a vital link to Chichester.

At a meeting of Tangmere Parish Council the same night, Tangmere councillors expressed their support of the scheme.

Chairman Andrew Irwin said: “We strongly support their views and we encourage people to sign the petition.”

The petition is available to sign at epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/42502