County Council publishes plans to improve travel choices for Eastleigh residents and businesses

The proposals include enhancing walking and cycling facilities including a proposal for a new pedestrian bridge parallel to Wide Lane, improving bus services and other public transport options including developing new bus routes, as well as the creation of “liveable neighbourhoods” and town and high street regeneration plans.

This proposed strategy will be considered by Councillor Kirsty North, the County Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Universal Services at her next Decision Day on 2 March. The proposals build on recent successes in improving active travel routes and delivering new bus infrastructure with £5 million invested in a number of schemes including Travel Hubs at Eastleigh and Southampton Airport Parkway Rail Stations, Bluestar 2 Bus Corridor Improvements, the Bursledon Road Cycle Link and Eastleigh Town Centre Cycle Route.

Commenting on the proposals, Councillor North said: “Our aim is to give people real choices in how they travel by improving public transport and creating safe, attractive places to walk and cycle. By doing this, we can build a cleaner, safer and more reliable travel network for residents, businesses and visitors which at the same time supports sustainable growth in our communities.”

As well as public transport and walking and cycling improvements, the County Council is progressing work on a new bypass at Botley. This will improve road connections for current and future housing development, reduce traffic in Botley village, improve air quality and revitalise Botley. At a cost of £48million, the scheme represents a substantial investment in Hampshire County Council’s transport network.

Councillor North will also consider making changes to the County Council adopted policy positions on two historic transport projects.

One is the Hamble Lane (north) improvement scheme. National Highways have halted the M27 Windhover Roundabout scheme on the grounds it does not offer value for money. The implication of this is that the complementary scheme the County Council had designed would no longer achieve its objectives and stated benefits. An alternative traffic management scheme is proposed within the Eastleigh Transport Strategy.

The other is the Chickenhall Lane Link Road scheme. Due in part to the changing standards and regulations to which road schemes like this must now be built, the County Council is no longer confident that completing the link road would be affordable or deliverable.