Lyndhurst residents urge council to look at bigger plan to solve traffic chaos rather than shifting problem

RESIDENTS have urged Lyndhurst Parish Council to create a master plan to solve the village’s traffic problems.

Villagers spoke at a recent meeting to urge members to look at the bigger picture instead of pursuing schemes which move the problem to a different area.

Eloisa Gil-Arranz spoke up to say she had been surprised to hear of proposals by another resident to close Racecourse View to traffic after it had become a rat-run.

She said: “It would be making the traffic situation worse by making people who live there sit in traffic for longer.

“It will drive all the traffic to the next road. It makes no sense.

“A fresh look at the problem is needed – we cannot sit on our hands.”

She said she had experienced “many near misses” while walking in the village with her children due to the narrow pavements.

She added: “It terrifies me. The horrific situation at the bottom of the High Street recently really brought to light to everyone that it could be me or my child.”

She suggested the flow of traffic could be improved by moving the traffic lights on the A337 further out of the village nearer to the police station and analysing the sequencing of the lights.

Resident James Chalk also spoke of his concerns, saying: “It is the root cause we need to identify, otherwise we’re just pushing the problem around. We need to look at the heart of it.”

Cllr Adrian Wiltshire said it was the first time someone had suggested moving the traffic lights, and added: “I think it is quite a good idea.”

Cllr Barbara Preddy agreed that the sequencing of the traffic lights was “a huge problem” and often let only four cars through at one time.

Council chair Cllr Chris Willsher told the meeting he had recently been going through parish council archives and noted traffic problems had been a source of complaint for 100 years.

Members agreed to request information regarding the traffic light sequencing and would set up a group to look into village-wide solutions.

As reported in the A&T, last year the council was told by resident Tina Simmonds that motorists on the A337 were using residential lanes to dodge congestion.

She said a survey of residents in Racecourse View showed 80% supported a “no entry” restriction.