01/09/2026
UPDATE ON STOCKBRIDGE CLOSURE
🚧 STOCKBRIDGE ROAD CLOSURE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 🚧
I’ve received numerous enquiries about the planned closure of Stockbridge Road, particularly from residents asking the very understandable question: can anything be done to stop it?
Unfortunately, the short answer is no.
I know the prospect of a seven-week closure of one of the main routes on and off the Manhood Peninsula is causing considerable concern. It will affect me too, as someone who lives on the Peninsula and regularly uses this route, so I completely understand why people are worried about the disruption it will cause.
There is now a dedicated West Sussex County Council webpage with the information that can officially be shared, but I thought it might also be helpful to answer some of the main questions I’ve been receiving.
âť“ WHAT IS HAPPENING?
From Saturday 10 October, SGN will be carrying out essential gas main replacement works on Stockbridge Road between the A27 and Grosvenor Road. The closure is expected to last until approximately 27 November.
The ageing iron gas main is being replaced with a modern plastic pipe. The existing main has experienced an increasing number of gas leaks, so the aim is to replace it in a planned way rather than continue dealing with individual leaks through disruptive emergency repairs.
âť“ CAN THE CLOSURE BE STOPPED?
No. SGN is a statutory undertaker and these are essential works to the gas network.
West Sussex County Council is the highways authority, but it cannot prevent SGN from carrying out the statutory works.
I appreciate that this is probably not the answer many people would like to hear, but I think it is important to be clear about what we can and cannot change.
âť“ DOES STOCKBRIDGE ROAD REALLY HAVE TO CLOSE COMPLETELY?
Unfortunately, yes. Other options have been considered.
Because of the location of the gas main, the connections to properties and the excavations required across different sections of the carriageway, there simply isn’t enough road width to accommodate the works and the necessary safety zones while keeping traffic moving.
Following site meetings and engineering assessments, a full closure was considered the only appropriate option. Other arrangements, including traffic lights or a directional closure, would not meet the necessary safety requirements.
âť“ HAVE LOCAL CONCERNS BEEN RAISED?
Yes.
WSCC and SGN have been working on the project since September 2025, with County, District and Parish Councillors involved from October, alongside engagement with bus operators.
The works were originally planned for January 2026, but were refused at that stage because there had not been sufficient communication and engagement with bus operators. This has allowed considerably more planning to take place ahead of the closure.
âť“ WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL DIVERSION?
The signed diversion will take traffic via St George’s Drive, Selsey Road/Chichester Road, the B2145 through Hunston and then the A27, with the route reversed for southbound traffic.
Road repairs and patching have already been undertaken on parts of the diversion route in preparation for the additional traffic.
There will also be multi-way traffic lights at the B2201/B2145 junction to help manage traffic flows.
Drivers are being strongly encouraged to use the official signed diversion rather than surrounding local roads, many of which simply aren’t designed to cope with significantly increased traffic.
And, realistically, we should all expect journeys to take longer while the closure is in place.
âť“ WHAT ABOUT BUSES?
Bus services will be affected, but a number of measures are being put in place.
WSCC has secured Lane Rental funding to provide additional Stagecoach bus capacity during the closure.
The Grosvenor Road bus stops on Stockbridge Road will be suspended, with a temporary alternative stop provided on St George’s Drive. The Stockbridge Gardens stops will remain available.
A separate accessible Community Transport Sussex “lifeline” minibus service is also being arranged for vulnerable residents in the area immediately affected by the closure who would otherwise struggle to reach alternative bus services.
âť“ WHAT ABOUT EMERGENCY SERVICES, CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS?
Emergency services will retain 24/7 access through the closure.
Pedestrian and cycle access will also be maintained throughout the works.
âť“ WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION?
West Sussex County Council has created a dedicated webpage which will be updated with information about the closure and the arrangements being put in place:
👉 https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/campaigns/sgn-stockbridge-road/
SGN is also holding a public drop-in event tomorrow, Wednesday 2 September, from 3pm to 7pm at Donnington Village Hall.
I completely appreciate that none of these measures will remove the disruption this closure is going to cause. For those of us living on the Manhood Peninsula, Stockbridge Road is an extremely important route and seven weeks is a significant amount of time.
And I do mean “us”. I live on the Peninsula too, so I will be navigating the diversions, delays and additional traffic alongside everyone else.
I wish there were a way of avoiding the closure altogether, but there isn’t. So my focus as your County Councillor is now on making sure everything reasonably possible is done to minimise its impact, particularly on our bus services, vulnerable residents and the surrounding road network.
Once the works begin, there will be weekly project update meetings involving local councillors and bus operators, so I will continue to raise residents’ concerns and will share confirmed updates throughout the works.
Please do share this post with anyone who you think may find the information useful.
Information about essential gas mains works
