Following the announcement of the cancellation of the planned Stonehenge Tunnel, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has now revealed that the bypass to take traffic on the A27 away from Arundel in West Sussex has also been scrapped, as the new Labour government insisted it had inherited a projected overspend of £21.9bn from the Conservatives.
National Highways said making changes to the road would reduce congestion, increase road capacity and improve safety. Ms Reeves told the House of Commons: “If we cannot afford it, we cannot do it.”
A plan for an A27 Arundel bypass in West Sussex was estimated to cost at least £320m. It had been put on hold by the previous government until 2025, says the BBC.
The chancellor said the spending audit had revealed “£1bn of unfunded transport projects” committed to next year. She said Transport Secretary Louise Haigh will undertake a “thorough” review of them.
Ms Reeves added: “As part of that work, she has agreed not to move forward with projects the previous government refused to publicly cancel despite knowing full well that they were unaffordable. That includes proposed work on the A303 and the A27.”
The 'Grey Route' A27 Arundel bypass proposed by National Highways was fundamentally flawed. The claimed time saving for cross-county journeys was fictional. During consultation events held by National Highways it was obvious they had made serious forecasting errors from the outset, and 'rat running' would blight more than six villages. Worse, communities in Binsted, Tortington and Walberton would be ruined, as National Highways claimed that no bypass could encroach on the South Downs National Park. National Highways eventually admitted their original budget was hopelessly inadequate. The always dubious benefit/cost ratio was blown out of the water. Then it became obvious to everyone the 'Grey Route' was an unaffordable non-starter. If National Highways had not insisted on pursuing the most expensive…