Hampshire council say traffic calming plans and potential Amazon warehouse have 'no link'

As previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Hampshire County Council has proposed to put zebra crossings and cycle buildouts in Leigh Road and Eastern Road in Havant, next to the railway station.

Residents, while generally welcoming the plans, accused the council of drawing this up to accommodate a planning application to redevelop the old Pfizer warehouse nearby into a last-mile delivery centre - believed to have been submitted for Amazon.

But the county council has hit back at these accusations, saying these plans have nothing to do with the New Lane development.

A spokeswoman for the council said: 'There is no link to any plans by Amazon for a delivery hub in Havant and our walking and cycling improvement proposals are independent of any development plans.

'In 2020 the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned Sustrans to support local authorities develop their local cycling and walking infrastructure plans and to provide a design resource for scheme development.

'The Petersfield Road NCN22 cycle route was identified as one of those schemes.'

It comes as the deadline for the county council's survey on the plans looms, ending on Monday, January 10.

Deputy council leader, Cllr Rob Humby, said the plans were designed to 'encourage more people to leave the car at home for their local journeys.'

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As part of the plans, the roads themselves will be narrowed in order to widen the footpaths.

An additional scheme has also been lined up between Elmleigh Road and Havant and South Downs College.

The council spokewsoman added: 'Portsmouth City Council and the Isle of Wight Council jointly secured nearly £56m from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund for new infrastructure to improve the way people travel around south-east Hampshire and on the island - either on foot, by bicycle or bus.

'This funding will enable Hampshire County Council to deliver local transport schemes - that meet the Department for Transport’s ambition to reduce reliance on travel by car - in eight locations, totalling £19.6m , by the end of 2023 in the Havant, Fareham and Gosport areas.'

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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