Invited by a resident to report on the proceedings, SCAR(1) was amazed at the uproar during a meeting hosted by West Sussex County Council, The Highway's Agency and Sussex Police. The meeting which was packed to overflowing, was held in Angmering Village Hall on Thursday, June 19. On the agenda was the on-going discussions with residents who are concerned over the proposal to close the cross-over gap(2) into the Village from the east bound carriageway of the A27.

SCAR heard one resident after another bitterly complain about the effect closure of the gap would have on normal village life. Several villagers graphically described how even at present, Dappers Lane - which is used extensively by walkers and horse riders, is not much wider than a bridle path and hardly suitable for a car in places - was being used as a rat run, with builders lorry's and joy riders often meeting head on. Closure of the A27 gap was seen as making living near the Lane impossible as it became more widely known as an alternative route to the gap. The meeting heard that taking the official alternative route put over 3miles onto some journeys.

It was clear that villagers had carefully studied the reasons why there were calls for the gap to be closed, and why crashes occur there. Locals told of how the A27 had steadily been turned into a race track and it seemed as though a motorway by stealth was being built. Closing all gaps would assist that. A clear picture emerged from further details given to the meeting by other villagers that speed on the A27 was a major factor in the crashes at the gaps, and the panel seemed to agree. Speed Camera's were seen as a deterrent to speeding and one was to be installed, but remarkably not until the gap was closed. That fact brought gasps of disbelief from the floor, with several calls for not one, but several and now.

Commenting after the meeting SCAR's Ian Brookes said: "Clearly the Police have a lot to answer for. Their admission that road crime - and that is what speeding is, a crime - is a low priority, is just not acceptable. How can they treat so lightly all the grief that the 10+ road death's nationally each day cause. Although the inconvenience to villagers of closing the gap pails into insignificance compared to even one slight injury, all the strong words said at the meeting could have been avoided if there was the will to tame the A27".

Ian Brookes added: "For the last 10 years SCAR has been critical of West Sussex County Council and for that matter the Highways Agency. Their predict and provide policy to road building has led to the mess we're now in. Sections of wide fast road have been built only to end in congestion at bottle-necks resulting in frustration and delay for drivers. Why is it that West Sussex County Council won't learn from past mistakes. The Hammerpot gap issue is a clear example of their myopic plan to make the A27 a superhighway. If they really wanted to make the area safe without closing the gap, they could do it. As one resident said: 'Re-introduce the previous successful single carriageway working down the hill combined with a 60mph limit. But of course motorways don't have gaps or single carriageways do they!".

Finally Ian Brookes returning to traffic policing said: "The matter of the Police admitting that road crime was a low priority is deeply worrying, especially as the dramatic rise in the Sussex Police Authority Levy has left the Council Tax Payer smarting. Whilst it's the Home Secretary who sets policing priority's, the Chief Constables duty is to see that road traffic regulations are enforced".

(2) The Gap has been the seen of a number of crashes over the years. This has occurred as motorists misjudge the speed, and or, the distance from them as they proceed from the eastbound carriageway and over the westbound carriage to travel into Angmering Village. However there was confusion at the meeting because the Highways Agency's crash figures differed from their own consultants and to official police ones.