A FORDINGBRIDGE resident has pleaded with councillors for something to be done to address traffic and highways issues in the town “before somebody is killed’’

Roy Peters raised concerns about the volume of traffic, speed of vehicles and drivers parking on the pavements and double yellow lines as well as the lorries that come through the town during a meeting of Fordingbridge Town Council last week.

He said: “This town when I was younger was a lovely town and still is. The only trouble is it is used as a motorway - a complete motorway.”

He said he could see the traffic heading through the town to the bank corner.

“The amount of cars that are coming down that road from both ends is unbelievable. ” said Mr Peters.

“The place has gone to pot because what you’ve done is allowed planning permission here and planning permission there.”

A number of areas in the town have been allocated for housing in New Forest District Council’s local plan. The adopted plan allocated 140 homes on land north of Station Road, Ashford, 330 at Whitsbury Roadwhich was in addition to the 145 homes already permitted, and a further 400 on land at Burgate.

“Something has got to be done before somebody’s killed. It’s all on your heads if someone is killed,” said Mr Peters.

“Please if you can do something, please, it’s needed.”

“There is more traffic coming through Fordingbridge because no-one ever thought of diverting the traffic away.” he added.

Mayor Edward Hale said many of these concerns had been discussed by councillors. He said: “We’ve been talking about most of the things you’ve mentioned - the volume of traffic, the speeding of the traffic and have spoken to the police and our district councillor about parking on the pavement.”

He said opportunities for a link road had been discussed by the town council but it had been told “there was no way it could be done”.

In terms of planning applications, the town council is a consultee and the granting of planning permission is decided by New Forest District Council as the planning authority.

Cllr Alan Lewendon said: “We have had a local plan dumped upon us, which most of us are opposed to..”

The meeting heard there is expected to be at least 1500 new homes in Fordingbridge.

Cllr Hale added the town council had a chance to “try and influence things" through Community Infrastructure Levy funds and through a plan being developed for the town with the district council’s chief planning officer.

 

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