PEOPLE living in working Whitehill and Bordon are being encouraged to see proposals on how travel around the town can be improved, once the new relief road is open.

“There are a number of proposals for the town that we want to show residents,” Rob Humby, executive member for environment and transport at Hampshire County Council, said.

“The new relief road is the perfect opportunity to take a fresh look at how people get around; how people could be encouraged to walk and cycle more, and how the environment can be improved.”

The Whitehill and Bordon Integration Project is a collection of transport schemes that will be put in place over a number of years.

The relief road, once fully open, due to happen in the autumn, will become the A325, allowing through traffic to be removed from the existing A325 road.

The plans involve a package of transport measures to support Whitehill and Bordon’s regeneration into a green and healthy town, including: widening footways to provide more safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists; providing more crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists; making it easier for existing residents to access the new facilities; making it easier for local drivers to get about, and reducing traffic speeds in key locations such as the entrance to the new town centre.

The initial plans and proposals will be on display on: Friday, July 13, between 1pm and 7pm at the Forest Centre, in Pinehill Road, Bordon; on Saturday, July 14, between 10am and 1pm at Mustangs, in Budds Lane, Bordon; and on Monday, July 16, between 1pm and 5pm, again at the Forest Centre.

Local people are being asked for their views until September 9, when the feedback will be collated and taken into account as the schemes are developed.

“The county council is fully committed to the successful regeneration of Whitehill and Bordon, and these proposals are designed to integrate new areas of the town, such as the new Mill Chase Academy and Future Skills Centre, giving people more choice as to how they travel around and making it easier to get to areas of education, health, employment, retail, leisure and recreation facilities,” Mr Humby continued.

“It’s really important we hear from the people who are living here, and using local facilities.”

At the exhibitions, residents will be able to ask questions and comment on outline proposals for the first phase of works associated with Budds Lane and the town-centre Arrival Square (along the A325 between the Budds Lane junction and Chalet Hill) as well as concepts for later stages of the project.

Once complete, the relief road will be approximately 2.6 miles (4.1km) long and, except for a short section of dual carriageway at the northern end, will comprise a two-way single carriageway with separate provision for pedestrians and cyclists. It will run from the north of Bordon, on the A325 Farnham Road, pass through the Ministry of Defence area to the west of the town, and reconnect with the A325 to the south at the A325 Petersfield Road, Liphook Road and Firgrove Road junction in Whitehill.

n More information and the survey form will be available at: www.hants.gov.uk from July 13.