Last chance to see? A walk in the woods to protest possible bypass
Organised by Arundel Scate, part of the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment, the walk took 45 people along the controversial proposed ‘pink-blue’ A27 bypass route.
Walkers turned up on Sunday to follow paths through ancient woodland in Tortington Common to Scotland Lane medieval road.
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Hide AdThey stopped at Noor Wood camp, directly in the path of the ‘pink-blue’ dual carriageway route where Julie and Tony Upson, owners of a patch of woodland, described their conservation work.
Dormouse monitor and naturalist Ian Powell, who has helped survey the area, said: ”These woods are a haven for rare wildlife including bats, dormice and butterflies.
“It is important that areas of ancient woodland like this are not lost or fragmented – they are irreplaceable.
Arundel resident Jean Norton said at the walk: “I commute daily on the A27 to Worthing with usual frustrations but my fear is a huge dual carriageway will destroy these beautiful woods and wildlife here and result in more traffic and pollution around Arundel anyway.”
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Hide AdOptions for an A27 bypass at Arundel will be revealed this summer following a lengthy consultation.
Arundel Scate advocates a mix of transport measures for the area, including some road and junction improvements, describing major dual carriageway proposals as ‘outdated, counter-productive and poor value for money’.