February 21, 2001 

The West Sussex Green Party has today called the decision by the South East England Regional Assembly to recommend to Government Ministers that the series of bypasses around Hastings should be built. IRRESPONSIBLE. 

John Tyler for the West Sussex Green Party said: "All this scheme will do is to increase traffic on the A27. We said it, volumes of evidence produced at the Public Inquiry from some of the country's leading transport experts said it. So why have Assembly members so eagerly rubber stamped the recommendation to build this 400 million pound white elephant?" 

"Is it the structure of the Regional Assembly, or is the weakest link the councillors who form the overwhelming majority in the Assembly. Whatever the reason the fact is those councillors will soon have to face an electorate concerned whether or not all that extra traffic is coming past their home."

 "And what's it all for? surely not to regenerate Hastings!. History should have taught them roads don't bring jobs. The facts speak for themselves. What has the massive road building schemes of the 60's and 70's done for the North of England? did they stop the collapse of Manufacturing there? No of course not. So what lies behind the assemblies decision?.

 In a way I hope it was just a cosy away day for grey councillors, working the old boy network for all it's worth, and the I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine mentality of such gatherings. And not the murky world of sleaze and corruption".

 END