The County Council owns part of the old
railway line from Alresford to Kings
Worthy, and I am delighted that after
extensive consultation, a section has now
been designated as a public footpath with
permissive cycle rights. It is a hidden gem
offering excellent sheltered flat walking,
especially for those who are less nimble. We
want to develop a ‘Friends of the Line’ group,
which could work with the owners, and look
to extend the route further if possible. I am
holding an ‘open morning’ from 10am on the
old line at Couch Green on May 10th as a first
step towards this.
M3 junction 9 is a nightmare for residents
in the division. The Highways Agency has
been sitting on a proposal to improve traffic
flows there. We County Councillors have
been pressing for the Agency to make a
decision so that the work can begin on a
feeder lane from Easton lane, and improved
gaps in the timing for Spitfire link drivers.
The second railway liaison meeting has
taken place at Micheldever Station. A listed
building, it is another gem, which houses a
busy station, popular with commuters. At the
meeting, local councillors and residents met
with representatives from Network Rail and
South West Trains to see what can be done
to smarten up the station and alleviate
parking issues there.
Plans for Putting Pedestrians First in
Alresford have slowed because of lack of
funding, but a working party ensures this
continues as a high priority for Alresford. The
County Council has agreed to update its
pedestrian statistics, in preparation for a full
Town Access Plan, but I asked them not to do
this in the period of bad weather: the town
was very quiet in sub-zero temperatures!
April
When you read this, I will be back from a trip
to New Zealand. It was the holiday of a lifetime.
The scenery was amazing of cours