A SMALL band of Selborne residents look set to take on the might of the establishment in a David and Goliath battle to try and secure a reduction in traffic volume and speed through their village.

Dissatisfied with a traffic calming scheme which they believe falls well short of their stated objective, STAG (Selborne Traffic Action Group) members are planning to take their campaign on to the national stage.

The talk is of enlisting the assistance of national press and television in a bid to persuade the DTER that Selborne has an environment which should be protected from the ravages of modern-day traffic.

Residents are not just fighting, they say, for the implementation of traffic calming measures but for a way of reducing the volume of traffic which now uses the B3006 as a regular rat run linking Alton with the A3.

Their feeling is that, set in the heart of Gilbert White country, Selborne should be treated as a special case and afforded more respect than areas which do not have as much to lose.

At last weekÕs agm, the call was for traffic movement strategists not to ignore their pleas but to actively investigate ways of re-routing vehicles away from the village.

In the meantime they are urging not only the speedy implementation of a comprehensive traffic calming scheme but a 20 mph limit - the combined effect of which would, it was hoped, deter traffic from using the route.

Having fought long and hard for a scheme to address their fears, STAG has been disappointed by Phase I which, at a cost of £64,000 is to be implemented under Hampshire County CouncilÕs Safer Routes to School programme.

Supported by the Selborne School Travel Plan, the aim of the scheme is to improve routes to school for those youngsters who live in Selborne, to slow traffic in the vicinity of the school, to improve facilities for pedestrians and to increase driver awareness of the presence of the school.

Already delayed due to disruption caused by work on the Wakes Museum which has resulted in the installation of temporary traffic lights further down the road, Phase I is not now expected to start until October. To stretch from just north of Goslings Croft to Gracious Street, the scheme will feature textured road surfacing and warning signs together with an existing pinch point, the realignment of the pavement on the corner of Gracious Street, and the introduction of a double Òbuild-outÓ on the B3006 opposite the school.

While campaigners have been successful in persuading the county not to interfere with an existing parking layby, they are concerned that the scheme fails to include a school crossing point, will introduce a ÒproliferationÓ of urbanising signs and will restrict much of the traffic to single line working.

This, during busy times, they say, could result in increased speed with motorists vying for road space and in vehicles being pushed onto the wrong side of the road, especially in the vicinity of the bus stop.

ÒOur technical team is convinced that this is a cosmetic exercise which will not work unless it includes some form of physical device for slowing down the traffic, such as speed humps,Ó said STAG chairman Roy Selwyn, who believes the only way forward is to turn the village into a 20 mph zone.

ÒWe already know that two thirds of all vehicles travelling through our village are exceeding the 30 mph speed limit - most are travelling over 40 mph and some are exceeding 50. If we follow government recommendation for residential rural areas and impose a 20 mph limit then hopefully most vehicles will drop their speed to 30,Ó he said.

The fear is that as it stands Phase I will fail in its objective. ÒHow can it claim to provide a safer route to school when it only covers the area to the north of the village. Those children coming in from other areas will still be vulnerable,Ó points out Mr Selwyn.

Last weekÕs meeting served to highlight STAGÕs continued concern also that Phase II - the £0.5m scheme planned for the centre of the village - is unlikely to be considered by HCC until 2006/2011, and even then there will be no guarantee that SelborneÕs proposals will be accepted.

To add to the disappointment, a talk by Mark Bradbury, Superintendent in charge of Traffic Division for Hampshire Constabulary, on the new Community Speed Watch scheme, put a dampener on any ideas of self-help.

Piloted in Avon and Somerset, the scheme seeks to arm civilian volunteers with speed gun devices which can be used to record details of speeding vehicles.

Described by Supt Bradbuy as Òa toothless tigerÓ, he pointed out that speed guns are expensive - costing in the region of £2.5k each, and have to be calibrated. Because of problems with regular calibration and because they would be used by civilians and not police officers, any evidence supplied in this way would not hold up in court.

All that could be achieved would be the sending of warning letters, followed by a threat to take police action, which would mean being caught on record by an officer.

While well intentioned, implementation of the scheme would have a significant impact on resources, not just in terms of officer time spent on training volunteers but in administering the scheme and in carrying out follow-ups.

ÒIn effect the community would be paying for the job to be done twice,Ó pointed out the Superintendent who expressed concern too over health and safety issues which would arise from pedestrians putting themselves at risk on the roads and from motorist retaliation.

A better way forward, he felt, would be the possible use of mobile radar cameras which could be stationed by the side of the road and would record details of each speeding vehicle.

ÒIn this way we can build up a picture and then deploy officers to follow it up,Ó he said.

Superintendent Bradbury was insistent that STAG should support Hampshire County CouncilÕs Safer Routes to School scheme which, he felt, would be a ÒsensibleÓ first step in achieving highway improvements in the village.

Unwilling, however, to accept compromise, STAG members remained determined to enlist wider support in their bid to preserve SelborneÕs cherished environment and to pursue a campaign for the introduction of a 20 mph zone throughout the village, Òby whatever means necessaryÓ.