A27 - East of Lewes £75M consultation

[A320Driver]

If there is a possibility of a ‘proper’ improvement between Lewes and Polegate in the pipeline then this just seems like a massive waste of money.
Don’t know the area but how many equestrians use/cross the A27??

[jackal]

Commonsense would suggest that they cancel this scheme and use the saving to accelerate the proper one.

[A303Chris]

Commonsense would suggest that they cancel this scheme and use the saving to accelerate the proper one.

That would seem the best approach but givens its the HE and Government money when does common sense come into it

[c2R]

Orders publishes on the scheme website: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/ ... -of-lewes/

[jervi]

Construction has now started at the Drusilla's Roundabout with station road closed a whole year while works take place. Hopefully they still permit cycles to use it, or at least north of Common Lane as it is on NCN Route 2 and a diversion here is difficult while trying to avoid the A27. Cycles could use the short section of A27 footway between Common Lane and the roundabout if permitted.

Also last September there were two modifications orders to the NMU path that I have only just seen.
https://assets.highwaysengland.co.uk/ro ... h+MOD1.pdf
The biggest change is to its legal status, previously it would of been classified as a bridleway, however this has now been changed to a "Restricted Byway (without a right to drive animals)" aka No ridden animals, but you can lead an animal on foot. Making the change from Bridleway to Restricted Byway only really has 2 legal differences, one is that motor vehicles are prohibited by default unless other rights exist (its not nessicarlly illegal to drive on a bridleway), and the other being that the way has to be maintained for use by bicycles, bridleways don't, although this doesn't mean it has to be paved.
So it being legally a Restricted Byway makes sense, however explicit prohibition of "driven" animals doesn't. The order states the reason as "in order to avoid compromising the safety of equestrian users of the path during operation", which its a stupid reason unless another route for horses are provided. There are many E-W PRoW routes that horses can use south of the A27, however these are some distance away.

https://assets.highwaysengland.co.uk/ro ... h+MOD2.pdf
The other change is to what is actually being built that does also involve changing of some accesses. This only really notable change is that most of the "boardwalks" have been replaced by more sufficient bridges, and as such turning heads have been removed. This may of been a result of the new standards as set out in LTN 1/20 in July(?) last year.