Angmering and Ferring road changes set to be made without discussion

Instead, the decision is being taken by county highway officers, prompting a furious reaction from councillors and even a Parliamentary question by MP Sir Peter Bottomley.

ASDA has used a procedure known as a section 278 agreement to seek permission for a right turn junction, controlled by traffic lights, into the former Country Fayre garden centre site where planning permission has been granted for a supermarket.

The procedure allows road schemes linked to sites with planning approval to go ahead without a further planning application, ruling out any discussion by councillors, and requiring no public consultation.

Drivers already faced with stop-start journeys along the A259 in the rush hours are likely to experience even more delays.

Now, four county councillors sitting on a highways group for the east Arun area have made a last-ditch attempt to stop the ASDA junction and have called instead for other improvements to the A259, including longer acceleration and deceleration lanes for traffic entering and leaving the supermarket and the addition of a third lane at the Angmering bypass roundabout.

Group chairman, county councillor Dr James Walsh, made the calls on behalf of the group in a letter to county council cabinet member for highways and transport Pieter Montyn in which he called the lack of consultation “unacceptable”.

Deputy county council leader Lionel Barnard said he, and council leader Louise Goldsmith regretted that the protocol for consulting the county councillor for Ferring, Peter Evans, about the junction plans, had not been followed.

He added: “We have asked that our officers address this shortcoming so that we may provide for better communication in the future.”

In his written Parliamentary question to the Department for Transport, Sir Peter raises concerns over the failure to consult the public and councillors over the road scheme.

At its meeting on Monday night, Ferring Parish Council agreed to continue its fight against the ASDA supermarket, in the strategic gap between the village and East Preston.

Chairman Carole Robertson said, “Every aspect of their plans causes intolerable problems for the village, and particularly for people in the Langbury Lane area.”

She added the parish council would challenge the section 278 agreement at the Joint East Arun Area Committee of county, Arun and town/parish councils on March 6 at the John de Bohun Room of the Woodland Centre, Woodlands Avenue, Rustington, at 7pm. The meeting is open to the public.

To read the full story, pick up your copy of the Littlehampton Gazette (Thursday, February 23 edition) out now.