500 signatures reached
To: Hampshire County Council
We need safe crossings of the A326/Hythe Bypass to prevent further tragedies
We, the undersigned, demand immediate action from Hampshire County Council to address the lethal danger of the A326/Hythe Bypass and provide safe crossings for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and mobility scooter users.
The Council's inaction has left our community exposed to preventable tragedy on too many occasions.
On 24th October, a 14-year-old girl was struck by a car while crossing the A326 near the skate park and Forest Front play area. She now faces life-changing injuries, and her family endures unimaginable heartbreak.
This crossing, and others like it on the A326, have no meaningful safety measures. Pairs of small yellow posts are the only measures at each location to warn drivers that pedestrians may attempt to cross a 60mph road, where speeding and dangerous overtaking are common. This is not just neglect; it’s a failure to protect lives.
Why is this important?
The crossing where the latest tragedy happened is popular with pedestrians, including children and people walking dogs, because it leads from a skate park and recreation ground to a broad gravel track in the New Forest National Park.
There are at least seven similar crossings on the A326 between the Hardley and Applemore roundabouts and all of them are lethal. The road is very busy, the speed limit is 60mph and drivers often exceed even this high limit and overtake dangerously.
We demand immediate intervention: safe pedestrian crossings, a reduced speed limit, warning signs and enhanced visibility measures. We cannot afford more delays, nor can our community endure further preventable tragedies.
We are fortunate in the Waterside to live next to a beautiful national park but the A326 acts as a barrier, cutting people off from reaching the forest safely on foot, on a mobility scooter, horse or bicycle.
There is just one safe crossing on the 3.3 mile stretch of the A326 between the Hardley and Dibden roundabouts. That safe crossing is just north of the Heath Roundabout but that it is too far away for people living in Butts Ash and Netley View. An area with many households on low income has the least access to a safe crossing into the national park, worsening social inequality. This is unacceptable.
