Claim of 'Banana republic' tactics used over Comet Corner in Bognor

Colin Mansfield said he was dismayed by the latest proposals for the Comet Corner junction.

Mr Mansfield has lived at Comet Cottage, close to the site where Yapton Road meets the A259, for decades.

He said: "My family is affected more than most by this scheme. A no entry sign would be put 18in from my front bay window. I would have expected to be consulted by the county council about this scheme.

"But I have not. The only information I have received has been via Middleton Parish Council's clerk.

"I would have expected this lack of communication in a banana republic but not in an English county council I have supported for 60 years.

"I believe it has failed, and failed in one of its primary duties '“ to communicate."

The latest attempt by the county council to deal with the potentially unsafe conditions at the junction follow a four-year campaign by residents for improvements after a car driver was killed in a collision there.

The council has suggested putting in a one way system to join the A259 from Middleton.

Mr Mansfield used last week's Joint Western Arun area committee meeting to claim this would double the queues. At present, these were nine vehicles long at morning peak times.

He questioned a county council document which stated that up to 70 vehicles were waiting there.

Duncan Barratt, county council highways officer, said the one-way operation was aimed at stopping the problems caused by the two arms of Yapton Road which joined the A259.

The 70 vehicle queue which Mr Mansfield quoted was based upon the predicted level of traffic once the site six development at Flansham had been completed.

He added that Mr Mansfield had not been consulted because the scheme was in its early days.

"We need to get this scheme into our highways programme to move it forward. When we have done that, that's when the consultation will happen. Mr Mansfield will not be excluded."