Butlins and university blamed for town-centre traffic chaos

Speaking at a meeting of the Western Area Committee, Hugh Coster of the Civic Society laid the blame squarely on the two institutions for being key contributors to persistent congestion.

He said: "People are just getting so fed up with not being able to get into the town in the mornings from the A259 '“ particularly on a Friday '“ that they just give up and turn around," said Mr Coster, who believed residents and businesses were united in dismay at near gridlock conditions.

The deputy chairman of the Civic Society added his organisation had previously put forward its own plans for alternate locations for both the entrance of Butlins and the university's entrance '“ which lies awkwardly immediately off the roundabout leading on to the High Street.

But he claims the society's plans had simply gathered dust on planners' desks which had resulted in huge traffic build-ups which he believed were simply getting worse.

Some respite to the issue may be at hand as Butlins' boss Jeremy Pardey confirmed at a meeting on Bognor Regis regeneration it was planning to spend 20,000 on faster access gates which he said would improve traffic flows to and from the site.

On the issue of the university campus, Mr Coster added it should reconsider adapting its entrance point and reviewing its parking policy.

He highlighted the fact road congestion around the campus had worsened as students routinely clogged up the streets with their cars instead of using the facilities on campus.

He added: "If you were a student, would you pay 50p to park in a car park or just use the nearby streets which are free?"

In response, several councillors raised the fact the university had attempted to improve its impact on traffic by imposing policies, including written agreements with students that they are not allowed cars on campus in the first year of their studies.

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