Anyone who regularly visits East Grinstead will know that congestion has become horrendous. Both Surrey and West Sussex openly acknowledge that roads have been operating over-capacity for many years. 

In 2018, Surrey Highways declared the Felbridge junction capacity problems to be SEVERE.

Yet, YOUR Highways Authority raises NO concerns over the impact from this large scale application … just a short distance from the Felbridge junction.

When considering traffic impacts, the Highways Authority sets the bar for “Severe Impact” in the full knowledge that a junction already operating over-capacity is UNLIKELY to reach it.

Infrastructure First’s submission highlighted persistent non-delivery of committed junction improvements in East Grinstead.

ALL large scale developments in East Grinstead going back a decade or more were allowed on the basis of junction improvements to mitigate their traffic impact. However, not one of the junction improvements has been forthcoming and it’s likely they NEVER will be.

Three of the developments were allowed at appeal … on the strength of assurances that the established Atkins improvement scheme would be implemented at the Felbridge junction.

It hasn’t been …. and it won’t be. The Atkins junction improvement scheme has been officially abandoned.

A further study of the Felbridge junction was undertaken by WSP in 2019. WSP failed to come up with any acceptable options at all. Even West Sussex Highways acknowledged in their response to the 2022 development plan that improvements to the Felbridge junction might not be deliverable.

Yet, you are now being asked to approve this application in the HOPE that a contribution to the new A22 Corridor Project will be effective in improving the traffic situation in East Grinstead

Even if we assume the Corridor Project can identify an acceptable solution for the Felbridge junction, it will require Government funding to deliver it. Given the Arundel Bypass Scheme has recently been scrapped on affordability grounds … central funding would seem unlikely.

Although they couldn’t realistically object, Surrey Highways do NOT support the application. Their official response shows that they are NOT satisfied that policy requirements have been met … and it is misleading for this to be overlooked.

In considering the planning balance,  the Committee Report should have included both the Surrey Highways dissatisfaction and the unmitigated traffic impacts from earlier schemes … BUT IT DOESN’T.

Officers will tell you that you can’t refuse the application on traffic grounds if Highways don’t object … but in this case, there are reasonable grounds to challenge their advice.

Until acceptable junction improvements have been identified and their delivery secured we cannot assume that the application traffic will ever be mitigated … and failure to tackle the backlog of committed traffic mitigation in East Grinstead threatens the economic prosperity of the town.

It’s time to make a stand.