 The M25 will be widened between junctions five and seven |
Plans to build a series of bypasses along the A27 in Sussex have been rejected by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling. Mr Darling revealed the schemes would not go ahead while announcing �6bn worth of road building schemes across England.
But he gave the green light to plans to widen the M25 in Surrey.
And there is to be a faster train service linking Brighton and Ashford.
Most schemes suggested in 11 transport multi-modal studies were approved by the secretary of state but he rejected calls for a series of improvements to the A27 on environmental grounds.
Mr Darling rejected proposed bypasses around Arundel, Selmeston and Wilmington, improvements to the existing bypass at Chichester and the building of a tunnel at Worthing.
He asked for the �27m plan for changes to the Beddingham level crossing near Lewes to be revised before giving a final verdict on whether it should go ahead.
But he asked for proposals for a new link road between Hastings and Bexhill to be drawn up.
A bypass around the towns was rejected in 2001 but Mr Darling has asked East Sussex County Council to develop outlines for a second road linking them.
It would be aimed at easing congestion on the A259 between Hastings and Bexhill, recently earmarked as an area of poor air quality and Mr Darling told Hastings MP Michael Foster he would look for the proposals to be put together as soon as possible.
 A faster train service between Brighton and Ashford was approved |
The M25 is to be widened to four lanes in parts of Surrey.
The motorway will be given an extra lane in six places, one of them being between junction seven - the junction with the M23 close to Redhill in Surrey - and junction five, at Sevenoaks in Kent.
On the railways, Mr Darling approved a scheme for improved services between Brighton and Ashford in Kent, via Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings.
The decision to reject some of the Sussex schemes was applauded by environmental groups.
Paul Hamblin, head of transport policy at the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: "We welcome the decision to reject certain schemes in Sussex but we need firm action to tackle car dependency and manage demand if the spectre of roadbuilding is not to continue to hang over valuable areas of countryside."
Green transport group Transport 2000 also welcomed the Sussex decisions but director Stephen Joseph was critical of the widening of the M25.
He said: "The M25 Orbit Study itself said that widening alone will simply lead to bigger, wider traffic jams."
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
We welcome the decision to reject certain schemes in Sussex but we need firm action to tackle car dependency 
