1 Latest update
Advance works
Utility companies are moving their equipment and services before work starts on the Comet Corner roundabout. In some cases, the council's contractor, Knights Brown, is carrying out this work on their behalf.
Completing this work early helps prevent delays during construction and reduces costs and risks. It also helps keep disruption to residents, businesses and road users to a minimum.
See details of ongoing and upcoming works and associated traffic management below.
| Works | Start date | Completion date | Traffic Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Gas network advanced diversion works | 16 March 2026 | 7 August 2026 |
|
| Scottish and Southern Electricity networks and Neos networks advanced diversion works | 12 June 2026 | 24 July 2026 |
|
| Scottish and Southern Electricity networks and Neos networks advanced diversion works | 27 June 2026 | 14 August 2026 |
|
| Advanced compound works | 3 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 |
|
| Portsmouth Water advanced diversion works | 17 August 2026 | 12 October 2026 |
|
| BT Openreach advanced diversion works | 15 October 2026 | 7 December 2026 |
|
Funding
In 2021, the Department for Transport approved the scheme's strategic business case and gave the county council funding to develop the scheme. This funding helped the council prepare an outline business case and submit planning applications.
In 2025, the Department for Transport approved the outline business case and provided more funding to continue developing the scheme and prepare a full business case.
The Department for Transport will provide most of the funding for the scheme if it approves the full business case. The council is currently preparing the full business case and will submit it after planning permission is approved.
2 Scheme overview
West Sussex County Council is currently developing a major road enhancement scheme for the corridor of the A259 between Bognor Regis and Littlehampton in Arun District.
The scheme involves improvement to some key junctions along the A259 between Bognor Regis and Littlehampton in Arun District. It is one of the short-term major road enhancements with active travel infrastructure priority schemes in the current West Sussex Transport Plan.
The key objectives of the scheme are to:
- make walking, cycling and bus travel better for non-motorised users to encourage a switch from using cars
- improve the road safety record and journey time reliability along the A259 between Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
- increase junction capacity to support economic development, including the delivery of strategic development sites identified in the Arun Local Plan
Funding progress
In 2021 the Department for Transport approved the strategic business case for the scheme. They provided grant funding to the county council to develop the scheme up to the point of an outline business case and planning application submissions.
In 2025 the Department for Transport approved the outline business case (or funding bid) for the scheme and gave further grant funding to develop the scheme up to the point of a full business case submission.
Approval of the full business case by the Department for Transport will provide the majority of funding for the scheme. We are currently developing this.This is currently being developed, and will be submitted following and subject to planning application approval.
Planning application process
The scheme requires 2 individual elements of planning approval. There is a planning application needed for:
- Comet Corner which was approved on 30 April 2026
- the Oystercatcher junction which is currently being validated before submission
3 Planning and consultation documents
Planning approval is required for 2 individual elements of the scheme, at Comet Corner and Oystercatcher junctions.
A planning application for Comet Corner was approved on 30 April 2026.
A planning application for the Oystercatcher junction is currently being validated prior to consultation.
The 2023 public consultation summary results are available below:
4 Timelines
The proposed timelines for the scheme are:
- submission of outline business case (funding bid phase 1) - October 2023 (complete)
- Department for Transport’s approval of outline business case - April 2025 (complete)
- Comet Corner planning determination - April 2026 (complete)
- Oystercatcher planning submission - June 2026
- Oystercatcher planning determination - Autumn 2026
- submission of full business case (funding bid phase 2) - Autumn 2026
- Department for Transport approval of outline business case - To be confirmed
- construction start - To be confirmed
This will be updated as dates and timelines are confirmed.