ANNUAL REPORT given at the AGM, April 2007

As the Chair of this Association I would like to welcome you all to the Annual General Meeting today.

As an organisation we have been in existence since the production of the Moss Plan in 1998. Our Officers and supporters have worked hard to keep this Plan as a realistic vision during that nine year period but what has happened?

The only large-scale development has been Rope Tackle that was always on the edge of the Moss Plan. The attempt to develop the Lady Bee Canal side has been stopped and no other plans have been put forward. The only development going ahead appears to be the rebuilding of the Shoreham Beach side of the port as a high-density expensive region of apartments. These are already causing problems for the working activities of the Port with concerns about the existing industry, which is noisy and dirty.

Development of the Moss Plan cannot happen until there is a functioning system of transportation linking the port to the region. The problem that stops this is the belt of residential property between the A259 and the A27. Historically the solution was to demolish the buildings along Trafalgar Road and Church Road allowing a wider road to be built as a link. The Council bought properties but the scheme never went ahead. Now, years later, the properties have been sold and developed so the possibility of widening this road link has gone.

As a consequence there are only two possibilities.

One is to forget a new road link and carry on as we are now. A limited growth of port activity and every plan for development in the area being blocked because of transport problems.

The second choice is to think beyond the old plans and look for other options and link routes.

Someone will oppose every possibility. Each Council would prefer the link to be in the other Council area. Every Councillor would rather it was not in their ward and residents groups will spring up in any area where a road is planned. In addition the green lobby will oppose new roads.

Add to this the fact that any solution will cost more than the local powers can afford. It can only take place if large amounts of money are obtained from our Government or Europe. That would require a lot of effort by all involved parties and organisations. SEEDA would need to be fully motivated & local political groups and residents persuaded to support a scheme.

A surface road link will never win the support of sufficient groups to make it viable but the needs for a link are already growing. Developments in other areas of the sea front will increase traffic on the A259 and there are already some large developments agreed by the planning authorities.

A bored tunnel would be expensive and there is no guarantee that the rock structure is suitable. It is clear that the only solution is a link which will be underground and therefore will have only limited adverse effects on the population of the area. A cut and cover tunnel is the only solution but that still leaves the problem of where. Councils need to look at all possible link routes where a tunnel could be located. There are at least three routes which would involve far less demolition and disturbance than the Trafalgar Road-Church Road route. These can easily be seen by looking at an arial photograph of the area and marking the green regions. These parks and other green sites can be restored and even improved when the tunnel is covered. Other existing industrial areas can be given open access to the route as a cut and cover tunnel is never far from the surface so the link can also improve transport for industry along the coastal strip beyond the edge of the harbour.

Until and unless Local Councils, SEEDA and other major bodies are prepared to look beyond their present thinking, the vision of the Moss Plan will fade away & only small projects will survive.

We will persist in our support of the Moss Plan, the Development of the Port and building a Cut and Cover Tunnel as the solution to the North south transport problem.

Patrick Ginnelly