Road from Midhurst to Chichester needs speed reduction before someone is killed

For several years there have been complaints to no avail about the speed of traffic on the A286 coming out of Midhurst and yet traffic speeds have decreased along many parts of the A286 '“ West Dean, Cocking, Easebourne and Fernhurst have all introduced speed reductions on the road.
The A286The A286
The A286

Heading south towards Chichester, the speed limit is increased from 30mph to 40mph past New Road at the beginning of Chichester Road, heading up towards the Royal Oak pub.

Just past the entrance to this very popular inn where the car park is often full of customers’ cars, the speed limit is again increased to 50mph as traffic zooms down the hill past houses on both sides of the road towards another very popular pub, the Greyhound, again well patronised and with a busy car park.

The speed limit then becomes the National Speed Limit.

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What we would like to see is the speed limit remaining at 30mph from Midhurst until clear of the Greyhound pub and then gradually increasing to the National Speed Limit.

Many residents are elderly and need to be extremely careful when attempting to cross the road or drive out on to the road as visibility is limited and the oncoming traffic is travelling at an alarming speed.

Many do not adhere to the speed limit – especially during events at Goodwood.

Now my 85-year-old neighbour has told me he simply can no longer leave his house as he is unable to drive his car nor can he cross the road to catch a bus as there is no footpath on the east side of the main road.

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A mobility scooter is also impossible for him as there’s no dropped pavement on the other side and again he’d be risking his life.

In the past three years there have been two accidents on the road, one of which led to the death of a 60-year-old man in 2015.

We thought this might have prompted a reduction in the speed limit on that stretch of road and I believe there have been several petitions in the past to have the speed lowered but still nothing has happened.

Approaches to the county council, district council and parish council have solicited sympathetic responses but the Highways Department have refused to help.

Perhaps the Observer can help before we have another fatality?

Monica Hill, Hill View, Cocking Causeway

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