LETTER: Open letter to county council

Q. Do the utilities companies have to provide advance notice of road works they may have to undertake on A roads within the area? As a resident who lives close to the A259 and uses this route daily to access my daughter’s school, and facilities in Bognor, I am appalled that the only time I am aware of traffic congestion is ONLY by our local radio station, Spirit FM, or from neighbours texting me advising of road works already in place. We have had a constant disruption of temporary traffic lights affecting traffic flow along this A259 sector (Felpham Way and Flansham Lane) since the beginning of 2016, yet it seems no-one is aware of these works until they are advertised on the radio as ‘already causing a congestion/disruption to the area’. The works seem to be undertaken by the utilities companies, yet many of us have observed a distinct absence of workmen on site during weekly working hours and just traffic lights mediating the flow. On Saturday, February 20, Spirit FM advised of gas works along the A259 (Felpham Way with the junction of Ley Road) yet I have been unable to find any notification of these utilities works. Our local radio station has ‘flagged up’, via the INREX system, these roadworks are in place until February 23, yet I can find no other advance notice of these works. Am hoping that once the new A259 relief road opens in March, incidents of unexpected roadwork’s along the old A259 (to be known as the A2259) will have a lessor effect on traffic movements in our area, yet hope we will be advised of any works in advance. I am sure any response received from the concerns and comments I have raised, will be a statuary response…‘nature of incident’, ‘necessity of works’, ‘emergency requirement’,… etc etc….. none of which will answer my original question. Finally, let’s hope Rolls Royce have their new building adjacent to the new A259 ready for the opening date of the new A259… (Recent observations of daily landscaping works to the entrance of the new RR building seem very active)…And that’s another rumour… Amanda Burton Alfriston Close Flansham Park