Traffic calming exhibition

It's hoped the scheme will unlock the full benefits of the 4m Angmering bypass, which opened in February but, many villagers believe, is still not taking enough through traffic away from the centre, especially at peak times.

West Sussex County Council's proposals, worked up with Angmering Parish Council, are intended to reduce traffic speeds in the village. They also include safer routes to school, as part of a continuing campaign to persuade more parents to stop taking their children by car, with the knowledge that village roads have been made less dangerous for walkers and cyclists.

The exhibition will be at Angmering Village Hall from 2-8pm tomorrow and from 10am-4pm on Saturday.

Lieut Col Tex Pemberton, the West Sussex cabinet member with responsibility for county roads, urged as many residents as possible to view the exhibition, and stressed that nothing was set in stone. Comments were welcomed from the public as part of the wider consultation, following earlier discussions with the police and the parish council.

He added: "When I opened the bypass, I said the next important step in Angmering would be to consider traffic management in the parish, and I have kept my word about that."

The proposals include:

l A 20-mile-per-hour zone in the village centre, with "gateway" features at the zone entrances highlighting the speed limit change.

l Footpath widening on the east side of Station Road to make walking to school safer.

l Give-way priority features in Station Road, Arundel Road and Water Lane.

l Restricting the northern end of Dappers Lane to one-way traffic northbound.

l Changes to parking in the village centre to make better use of spaces and improve safety.

Comments on the proposals will be considered before detailed designs are produced. Work on the traffic calming should start early next year, in phased stages to cause the least possible disruption.

Earlier this week, officials carried out a traffic census on roads around Angmering and automatic vehicle counters have also been in place for several weeks.

Concern was voiced at a parish council meeting two months ago that too much traffic was still passing through Angmering, especially during rush hours, when tailbacks caused long delays around the southern end of the bypass.