Calls For Urgent Action To Fix Flooded A264 In West Sussex

Calls have been made for urgent action to address repeated flooding on a major West Sussex road following disruption earlier this week.

The A264 at Colgate, between Bewbush Manor and the Kilnwood Vale roundabout, was partially shut on Thursday after flooding affected the carriageway.

Single-lane closures and reduced speed limits were later put in place as poor weather continued.

A petition calling for “immediate action” to fix the road has now been signed by nearly 800 people.

Horsham District councillor Sam Raby says the situation is having “huge knock-on consequences” for residents and commuters.

West Sussex County Council says it is working closely with landowners to identify the cause of the flooding and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

The council has warned that if water levels rise further, or public safety is at risk, a full road closure may need to be reinstated.

Councillor Raby said residents of Kilnwood Vale have been particularly affected, with journeys that would normally take five minutes stretching to as long as an hour due to congestion and diversions.

He said a short-term solution would be to keep one lane open wherever possible, but added that a long-term fix would need to focus on preventing water from reaching the road in the first place.

That, he said, is likely to involve engineering work, although not necessarily on the carriageway itself, and would not be a quick fix.

The A264 Crawley Road has faced similar problems in recent weeks, having also been closed westbound earlier in January due to flooding.