Titchfield rat run has become a 'fatality waiting to happen' fear residents

Residents in Titchfield have voiced their concerns after more and more vehicles have started using Common Lane, Coach Hill and Bridge Street.

The vehicles, they say, are being diverted towards Titchfield due to the Stubbington Bypass, which opened in May.

Vivian Stewart, who lives in Common Lane, said: 'In the space of 10 minutes you can easily see 100 vehicles driving through, and it never used to be like that.

'I've lived here for more than 35 years and until now it has always been a peaceful place to live.

'It took us a while to put two and two together, but it's clear that our village is now being used as a rat run. It makes total sense - there are fewer roundabouts and traffic lights so everyone drives along here instead of going up to the gyratory and along the A27.

'The volume of cars now is just unbelievable, it feels more like a motorway at times.'

But the concerns of Mrs Stewart and her neighbours stretch further than just the volume of cars.

With no speed cameras or traffic calming measures, some motorists fly along the road far above the speed limit.

'We've clocked drivers speeding through here at 60mph,' Mrs Stewart said.

'It's frightening, because you have a school not far up the road and someone could easily get hit by a car.

'There are no speed restrictions and if the road is going to be like this from now on, there ought to be some in place.'

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Mrs Stewart and other Titchfield residents recently met Councillors Sean Woodward, Tiffany Harper and Sarah Pankhurst to make their concerns known.

The police and Hampshire County Council have also been contacted - but locals fear nothing will change any time soon.

A letter from the county council to Mrs Stewart said: 'Our safer roads team has reviewed the Common Lane/Coach Hill route a number of times in recent years and there has been no justification for inclusion on their safety scheme programmes.

'A further recent review of the police injury accident data shows the safety record through the route remains good.

'Although there have been some incidents recorded, they are spread through the route.’