FOLLOWING an outcry from local residents that they were not being consulted about the proposed A3 tunnel at Hindhead, the Highways Agency has agreed to a number of changes to the £110 million scheme.

The main alteration is to the path of the road itself, northbound to higher ground. This extends the tunnel length by 150 m but will greatly reduce the severance of Tydnall's Wood, enable better screening of the road from nearby properties and reduce noise levels.

Other changes that have come following public consultation include an underpass for pedestrians, horseriders and cyclists at High Pitfold, and changes to the Boundless Lane junction to avoid woodland and to allow access from the south.

Grayshott's EHDC councillor Ferris Cowper told The Herald that overall he was pleased that the Highways Agency had listened to local views.

However, he expressed concern that the potential cost of extending the tunnel length could lead the government to question whether the scheme should be part of their transport solution.

Mr Cowper was also disappointed that the agency was still maintaining its opposition to keeping the existing A3 stretch open after the tunnel is complete, something local campaigners believe is essential.

"There are a number of unanswered safety concerns raised at a recent Grayshott meeting on the tunnel," he said.

"We will be putting these to the agency over the next couple of weeks, but until they are resolved I can't see how they can say that they've concluded the A3 should be closed."

Mr Cowper said that working with surveyors, architects and traffic managers, he and other Grayshott residents had established that the Hazel Grove junction should be moved south out of the populated areas of Hindhead and Grayshott.

"The old A3 should then stay open for local traffic," he said. "Everybody knows this is the best way to solve the issue."

Responding to the argument that closing the A3 would benefit the local environment, he said: "This should be weighed against the human benefit of alleviating the traffic problem that will permanently blight the lives of the people who live there."

Mr Cowper concluded that the dialogue with the Highways Agency was ongoing.

"The issue of the old A3 is far from closed and the debate is far from over," he said.