Partial Reopening of A29 at Pulborough After Year-Long Landslip Closure
West Sussex County Council is set to partially reopen the A29 at Church Hill, Pulborough, after a landslip shut the road in December 2022. Traffic will soon pass through a single protected lane, secured by concrete blocks down the centre of the road. Work begins shortly and should wrap up in around two weeks.
Landslip Hit Narrowest Section, Blocking Road
The landslide happened at the tightest stretch of the A29, squeezed between steep embankments on both sides. For safety, the council closed the road completely. The tricky part? The land beside the road needed for full repairs isn’t council-owned—it belongs to private landowners.
WSCC tried to strike a deal with these landowners for surveys and repair work but hit a dead end. Now the council has slapped a Section 151 notice under the Highways Act 1980 on the owners, ordering them to clear the fallen debris and fix the land to stop future slips blocking the road.
Temporary One-Lane Scheme to Give Drivers Relief
The new one-lane route is a stopgap until a proper fix is in place. Initially, WSCC resisted single-lane reopening, hoping to avoid re-closing the road later and bringing back traffic diversions. But with months lost and frustration growing from locals, the council has decided a limited reopening beats full closure.
“We offered to carry out the works on the private land ourselves to get one lane open,” said Matt Davey, WSCC Director of Highways. “We were hopeful of agreement with landowners, but sadly that wasn’t possible. We urge them to be pragmatic as talks continue.”
