Pier Road consultation 2022

Background information

In 2020 and 2021, we took emergency measures to temporarily close Pier Road in Littlehampton to traffic in the summer months.

Why Pier Road was closed to traffic

The road closure was needed to allow for social distancing and to keep the public safe from the risk of accidents as people walked or queued on the road.

The closures were funded by government grants launched to help councils to address the impact of COVID-19. At that time, other councils throughout the country carried out similar road closures for the same reasons.

The closed section

The section of road closed was between the junction of Clifton Road (47 Pier Road, Mussel Row) and the former Nelson Pub at the junction with South Terrace.

Although small (approximately 100 yards) it was necessary as the pavement outside the takeaway shops is narrow and was not able to safely accommodate the number of customers and passers by.

Pedestrians queuing whilst standing in the road on Pier Road Pedestrians walking and queuing in the road on Pier Road

This is a busy area that has no designated crossing points. It is also common for vehicles to park outside the shops, despite not being permitted.

Whilst the section of road was closed road traffic diversions were in place.

How the space was used

We provided some picnic benches for visitors to use. Some businesses took the opportunity to provide outdoor dining for their customers.

Littlehampton Town Council organised street entertainment. The response by the public was generally positive.

These road closures were put in place using special COVID-19 measures, were temporary, and carried out with limited funding.

The future of Pier Road

Following the previous summers, we now want to know if you would like to make permanent, or temporary (seasonal) alterations to Pier Road.

What has happened

We recently held a consultation on the future of Pier Road. We will update this page with the results of the consultation when they are ready.

The results of the consultation will contribute towards informing any future decisions made by Arun District Council and West Sussex County Council. 

The consultation 

Please note that all images on this page are for illustrative purposes only. Text descriptions have been added to help with accessibility but if you do need any help viewing the images please contact us using the details below.

The location affected by the options below is shown in this map [open image]

image description

map shows the location of the southern section of Pier Road in Littlehampton. The section is outlined in purple.

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  • Option 1: Close Pier Road to traffic and pedestrianise the street  [open image]
    image description

    image shows footway widening at the junction with Bayford Road and South Terrace, table seating and cycle racks on pier road, planting areas at the north and south of the section of Pier Road and loading/unloading bays (limited 20 minutes) at the Arun Parade corner. The image is annotated "Option - Full Closure (motor vehicles). Raise existing carriageway kerb to kerb to provide full width level surface. Surface colour to match existing west side footway. Cycling permitted in both directions on contrast coloured surfacing."

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  • Option 2: Close Pier Road annually for the summer season. An image showing the emergency seasonal closure to traffic in 2021 with temporary seating and removable bollards, which gives a guide to how option 2 would look, can be viewed here [open image] 
    image description

    The image is a photograph of a sunny day which shows Pier Road with people sitting eating and drinking on temporary tables. There are pedestrians walking up and down the road and people walking alongside bicycles they are pushing. 

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With Option 2, the road would revert to the current system outside of the summer closure period.

  • Option 3: Create a one-way system, allowing traffic to go north towards the town centre. This option would mean the road would operate like this [open image]
    image description

    image shows a shaded section of Pier Road northbound from the junction with Clifton Road down to the corner of Arun Parade. There are no entry signs shown on Pier Road by the junction with Clifton Road. Footway widening is shown at the junction with Bayford Road and New Road. Cycle racks, planting areas and table seating are shown on Pier Road. Loading / unloading bays (limited 20 minutes) are shown at the southern section of Pier Road. The image is annotated "Option - one way south to north. Raise existing carriageway on east side and provide raised table crossing points from west side footway. Surface colour to match existing westside footway. Southbound cyclists will need to dismount."

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Option 4: Create a one-way system, allowing traffic to go south towards beach only [open image]

image description

image shows a shaded section of Pier Road southbound from the junction with Clifton Road down to the corner of Arun Parade. There are no entry signs shown on the corner leading onto Pier Road from Arun Parade / South Terrace. Footway widening is shown at the junction with Bayford Road. Cycle racks, planting areas and table seating are shown on Pier Road. Loading / unloading bays (limited 20 minutes) are shown at the southern section of Pier Road. The image is annotated "Option - one way north to south. Raise existing carriageway on east side and provide raised table crossing points from west side footway. Surface colour to match existing westside footway. Northbound cyclists will need to dismount or use alternative route via St Catherine's Road."

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  • Option 5: Make no changes