West Sussex County Council says that it remains committed to resolving the ongoing situation with the A29, Church Hill in Pulborough following a landslide in late December 2022. The Council will continue to work towards reaching a resolution which will be to the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors across Pulborough.
The landslide occurred on the steep embankments situated at the narrowest part of the A29. These embankments are in private ownership and the council does not have legal rights to enter or carry out work
required on this private land without the permission of the owners.
Shortly after the landslide, geo-technical experts assessed the embankments and advised that due to the established instability of the land on both sides, it is not safe to fully reopen the road to vehicles and pedestrians. WSCC continues to regularly monitor the site to ensure it remains safe for the current use arrangements.
Since the initial incident WSCC has engaged in regular discussions with the landowners, however, when wthe Council was not able to reach an agreement with them as quickly as it had hoped, traffic signals and concrete blocks were installed to allow safe single-file traffic in April 2023.
The private ownership of the embankments is still the main challenge the council faces when attempting to achieve a long-term solution. Legal options to address the lack of an agreed solution are limited and the
statutory notices served on the landowners to allow work on the embankments have been appealed by them and referred to the magistrates’ court system which is suffering from lengthy delays.
“Whilst we have not made as much progress as we were hoping to have done this year, there is a prospect of some being made soon, with a court hearing having been set for January 2026,” said a West Sussex County Council spokesperson
“If this route to have the planned works approved through the courts does not provide the much-needed solution in a timely way, the County Council will keep other legal routes under active consideration. However, we must allow the current court process to reach a conclusion before we begin an alternative route.”
In the meantime, the single lane signal-controlled arrangement is regularly reviewed to ensure it continues to provide a safe and workable temporary solution.
“We appreciate the ongoing delay in resolving the situation has caused frustration locally, and we will keep focussed on exploring all options to reach a resolution, including engaging with the landowners if they
are open to further discussion. We will also continue to keep residents and stakeholders informed of our progress as updates are available to be provided,” the spokesperson added.
(Picture: Mapillary)
