We are grateful to Paul Wreyford for the use of his photos to illustrate the problems pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles face when using Westgate as a thoroughfare. These problems are set to increase with the proposed construction of 1600 new dwellings on the White House Farm development.
Our question is: What is the impact going to be for those of us trying to live on the street?
At the Westgate Roundabout end there is barely room for two vehicles to pass, let alone when one is a van.
At the opposite end, at the Sherborne Road junction, there is predicted to be a 250% increase in traffic joining Westgate from the west by 2029.
Just to remind you, here is what the approach to that same roundabout already looks like of a winter’s evening.
On street parking has a calming effect on traffic but there is not much room to pass on our street. Where does a family going home from school on bicycles fit into all that?
Because if you are a cyclist, there seems no safe way of sharing the road with more than vehicles going one way.
Add in some pedestrians and it gets even tighter for everyone when a large van and a cyclist are part of the mix.
These pictures show that in no way can the current use of Westgate be considered safe or sustainable. Yet this situation is set to get some 12.5% worse at our eastern end with the White House Farm development.
At the time of writing, the developer’s outline planning application has not yet been determined. Now is the time to consult the developer’s plan on the Chichester District Council website and make your views known to Mr Mike Allgrove, Planning Policy Manager at Chichester District Council.
