Don’t upgrade it Your article ‘A27 upgrade on the cards’ (Argus, November 11) barely challenged many of the wild assumptions and claims being made by supporters of A27 expansion. The fact is, road building is very expensive, while past evidence shows that new roads create new traffic and any ‘relief’ is short-lived. This brings into question the value of trashing the South Downs, increasing carbon emissions, noise and air pollution for a short-term fix. Even if journeys are speeded up on the A27, there is likely to be more congestion in surrounding towns and cities, negating much of the benefit.

Politicians are very quiet about the fact that an expanded A27 is likely to attract sprawling housing developments and out of town retail parks making people even more dependent of having to drive. This will create even more traffic and clog up the A27 as Lyons Farm has helped to do at Worthing.

In addition, expand the A27, at Arundel, Worthing and Lewes to Polegate and the problem will just move along the A27 and increase congestion from Shoreham to Lewes. This will lead to calls for yet more road building and cause further harm to the National Park. And so it goes on – never solving the problem, but creating much damage in the process.

Meanwhile the coastal railway is starved of investment and local authorities, with a few exceptions, have done very little to promote walking, cycling and public transport. Indeed, many seem hell bent on cutting bus services regardless of the impact on those without a car.

So this isn’t a question of if we look after nature in the designs, the road can go ahead (Comment, November 11). While you cannot replace ancient woodland, such as at Arundel, by planting a few trees, the issues are far wider than that. They are about prudent use of public money, joined up Government, avoiding huge damage to the South Downs National Park, the impact on our health and the NHS and creating a lifestyle that degrades our quality of life.

Chris Todd Friends of the Earth Hollingdean Terrace, Brighton