AN award-winning pub landlord has hit out at organisers of this weekend’s Velo South race which is threatening to bring large parts of rural life in West Sussex to a grinding halt on Sunday.

The Velo South website has been advertising several pubs along the route who allegedly are throwing open their doors to welcome spectators to enjoy the cyle ride celebrations,

One such pub is Milland’s Rising Sun which it says is hosting a mini-festival to co-incide with the event which has been subject to a last-ditch legal challenge to West Sussex County Council’s proposed traffic orders which were opposed by residents determined to stop the nine-hour closures going ahead, earlier this week.

But Rising Sun landlord Ben Burston, who won Fuller’s Griffin Trophy as the brewery’s best village put two years in a row, told The Herald: “There’s been some understandable frustration about the advert Velo South have put up on their website relating to our event on Sunday, claiming we are opening doors to visitors.

“We are in fact holding a ‘Village Locked-In’ event in response to the road closures and we are not supportive of the activities of Velo South.

“As I’ve said many times before – this bike ride is outrageously undemocratic, hugely inconvenient, unnecessary in its scope and could have some dangerous outcomes.

“For pubs along the route it has the potential to destroy their Sunday lunch trade.

“I have been offered and, in turn, refused funding from Velo South and had numerous discussions with them, telling them bluntly what I think of the whole event.

“I have emailed Velo South to ask they consider congestion, blocking of emergency access points and health and safety.

“I have also advised them of limited parking in the village. We will be controlling parking around the green – solely for the benefit of the villagers. I will provide and pay for a steward myself,” said Ben, who has been landlord of the pub since 2007.

Organisers CSM have also stated there will be intermittent crossing across the cycle route on the Rake and Fernhurst Roads and advises visitors to park nearby or in the pub car park.

CSM says the ‘fast-track’ wave of cyclists will set out from Goodwood at around 7am, with the final wave setting off from 8.25-8.45am.

They will have covered 75 miles by the time they reach Milland and will be allowed a maximum of nine hours before they will be collected by ‘sweeper’ vehicles near the finish time.

In Milland, the whole length of Fernhurst and Rake Road, plus connected routes in each direction, will be closed to all vehicles from 8.30am until 5.30pm – a closure of nine hours.

Anyone living along the affected roads will not be able to drive into and out of their own property for the entire closure period, and no other vehicles will be able to reach them.

Sunday’s church service at St Luke’s Linch has been cancelled and newspaper deliveries for the whole parish are in doubt.

The village crossroads leading to The Rising Sun pub and Community Store will be shut to vehicles wanting to cross between Milland Lane and Iping Road, but there will be two-way crossing between 8.30am and 9.40am only, and again from 4.30pm.

Following strong complaints by the parish council, CSM has conceded a marshal on duty at the crossroads will allow residents to drive across between 9.40am and 4.30pm – but only when it is considered safe to do so.

Another late concession is non-event cyclists will be allowed to use the closed route but are advised they must only travel in the same direction as the Velo South participants.

Horse riders will not be allowed to use the closed roads, while pedestrians can only using ‘due caution’.

The organisers state parking will not be allowed along any of the closed roads, which takes effect from midnight on Sunday.

Any vehicles parked on the Rake and Fernhurst Roads will be removed.

Residents living along closed roads have been advised to park elsewhere overnight if they wish to leave the area on Sunday, and CSM has also declared no one can park on the verges of Milland Lane or Iping Road.

Milland Parish Council has decided to make the village a no-go area for non-locals.

It intends to allow parking for a few residents’ cars by Cartersland Green in the centre of the village as well as in the car park by the Memorial Hall and Community shop off Iping Road.

But it has stated categorically that no parking will be made available for incoming spectators or event support vehicles.

In addition, the gate to the Recreation Field, located next to the village hall in Iping Road will be locked to deter any parking there.

The Rising Sun will open from 11am serving Sunday lunch and a hog roast with live music from 2-4pm.