Protest sparks fresh calls to shield globally rare Hampshire chalk stream from damage by drivers
Fresh calls have been made for a traffic order to shield one of Hampshire’s rare chalk streams from damage caused by vehicles driving through it.
The calls follow a protest in January when more than 150 residents, environmental groups, councillors and the area’s MP gathered in Droxford, voicing anger over continued 4×4 and motorbike use through a 200-metre stretch of the River Meon at Mill Lane, warning that repeated vehicle crossings are damaging the fragile chalk stream.
At a full council meeting on February 26, Cllr Malcolm Wallace urged Hampshire County Council to step in and restrict vehicle access along the splash route.
He called for an experimental Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to prevent motor vehicles from legally driving through the river, and, if necessary, a stopping-up order.
Cllr Wallace said: “Given the scale of public concern, the strengthened ecological evidence, and the clear expectation expressed at the recent protest, HCC must now intervene.”
Responding, cabinet member for universal services Cllr Kirsty North said the council had sought legal advice.
She said: “We are aware of the public concern regarding this route at Mill Lane, Droxford, and recognise that it is an important chalk stream habitat.
“However, any proposal to restrict access to a public highway must be justified and implemented through appropriate enforceable legal instruments.
“The county council has sought legal advice to understand what may be actioned under legislation, the risks involved and possible solutions.”
Following that advice, she said the council is preparing to carry out traffic usage and ecological surveys at the water splash over a period of seven to nine months.
She added: “It is likely that further legal advice will be required and any decisions will then be progressed through the county council’s decision-making process.
“I can assure you that we are committed to processing the surveys as soon as possible ad we are working with the South Downs National Park Authority, Natural England, the Meon Valley partnership and other key stakeholders to keep them informed of progress and to ensure that a solution can be reached.”
But Cllr Wallace was not satisfied with the response. He argued that ecological surveys had already been carried out and that independent experts believe there is enough evidence to act.
Cllr Wallace said: “The evidence that we have been put forward in front of independent experts like fish legal, have already said that we have sufficient to move forward.
“Can you specify exactly what legal or procedural constraints prevent the council from progressing an experimental Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) at this stage? And what would need to change for the council to be able to act?”
Cllr North replied: “I’ve been clear that we have sought legal advice and we’ve been instructed that we need to undertake further surveys.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Wallace said the River Meon is “one of Hampshire’s most important chalk streams — globally rare, extremely sensitive, and home to species such as water voles, brown trout and otters”.
He added: “These habitats cannot withstand repeated physical disturbance. Modern 4x4s and trail bikes have a completely different environmental impact from the horse‑drawn carts or farm vehicles that originally used this centuries‑old track.”
In 2023, Hampshire County Council commissioned an aquatic ecology report. It concluded that vehicles driving through the River Meon were harming biodiversity and recommended closing the forded section of the Mill Lane byway.
However, in 2024 the council declined to introduce a traffic order to stop vehicles using the route. A later draft report suggested there were “no major concerns” along the stretch of river.