Up in the air

It seems the creation of new roads in this country is not necessarily the job of experts - from this extremely Civil Service response to my latest Freedom of Informaton enquiry, directed at the Department for Transport. The author is Serumun Biam, Correspondence Team, Strategic Roads, Economics and Statistics

Dear Mr Rogers,

Thank you for your request dated 8 October 2019, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, for information on the A27 and proposal for enhancements to
the route between Lewes and Polegate. You specifically asked:

Can you confirm that you have a positive business case and supporting  papers for
an option to improve the existing A27 with RIS2 funding, as Ms Caulfield claims ?
Can you say who has written them?

The development of the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) is not dependent
on an organisation (Highways England or otherwise) having made a bid to the
Department for a specific, detailed proposal in order for a scheme to be included in
the investment plan or our pipeline of proposals to be explored or developed for a
future RIS.

Rather, the Department works with Highways England and other organisations to
develop a robust evidence base covering the current performance of the whole of the
strategic road network and future pressures on it. As well as Highways England's
own data and research, the evidence base encompasses our understanding of
stakeholder views (including from road users and local communities) assembled
through a process of engagement and consultation. The Department uses this
evidence base to decide how best to allocate the funding available, including the
operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network.

As Highways England has informed you, the output of the study investigating the
need (or otherwise) for an off-line improvement between Lewes and Polegate forms
part of that evidence base. And, as mentioned in our previous response to you, it
also includes the comments of Maria Caulfield MP as reported in the press. No
similar study for an on-line improvement to the A27 on its current route has been
undertaken, but as explained above, that would not prevent a decision being made
as part of RIS2 to explore or develop such an option.

In short, no options for how to proceed in relation to the A27 between Lewes and
Polegate have been ruled in or out of consideration at this stage beyond the
interventions already funded through the first RIS.