WOOLMER Hill and Critchmere Hill traffic calming will be high on the agenda today (Friday) when top-level meetings are expected to take place to discuss plans for the area when the Hindhead tunnel is built.

Among the items under discussion will be the availability of the £300,000 needed to put a series of measures in place to reduce rat-running and other problems likely to affect local roads.

Surrey County Council local director for its Waverley Committee, Philip Crossland, said he was "optimistic" that any traffic-calming scheme would be funded either directly by the Highways Agency or through an SCC bid for government money.

Also on Friday, the SCC Waverley Local Committee meets at Elstead Youth Centre at 2 pm to discuss Woolmer Hill traffic calming and other tunnel-related issues.

Measures expected to be put out to public consultation early next year include safer crossing facilities to Woolmer Hill School, with the possibility of a pedestrian crossing with a section of the road reduced to a single lane outside the school. Raised tabletop junctions and a 20 mph speed limit with vehicle weight restrictions, are also believed to be in the pipeline, along with a mini-roundabout and table junctions, or both, at the junction of Critchmere Lane and Critchmere Hill.

They also include works to the accident black spot at the junction of Critchmere Hill and the A287.

A report and comments from the meeting will form the basis of SCC's response to the publication in October of the Hindhead Tunnel scheme draft orders, which are out for consultation until January 9, 2004.

Mr Crossland said other traffic-related issues are still the subject of discussions, including the predicted significant traffic increases in Boundless Road and Park Lane.

In a report to the committee, recommending that it objects to proposals published for the Boundless Road junction, the meeting will hear that "subsequent changes to the scheme in this area have meant that traffic is now predicted to significantly increase".

"This is an unacceptable situation as the roads in this area are unsuitable for additional traffic, and it is clear that the proposals as published for this area of the scheme cannot be supported," says the report.

It also notes that traffic calming may also need to be installed at the section of Headley Road between the county boundary and the existing A3 and talks are to take place between the Highways Agency and Hampshire County Council over the issue

The controversial Hazel Grove route, and the proposed closure at its junction with Glenlea and High Pitfold, is also likely to be discussed after concerns from local residents on access via the proposed new Hazel Grove, Portsmouth Road and A3 junction. The report says that while "it is considered that the Highways Agency's proposal is the best solution at this location," discussions are continuing between SCC the Highways Agency and residents to look at alternatives.

Details concerning the de-trunking of part of the A3 and a roundabout set to be introduced at the junction with Headley Road to improve safety and access, as well as the possibility of including cycling facilities in the area, are included in the report. It states that SCC is "also working closely with Waverley Borough Council and other partners to support the regeneration of the centre of Hindhead".

The report include eight recommendations from officers. Among them is support for the implementation of the Hindhead tunnel scheme, closure of the existing section of the old A3, downgrading of Byway Open to All Traffic, BOAT 500, to a bridleway and cycleway and support for the closure of Hazel Grove.

The report concludes: "This project will provide much-needed relief for the Hindhead area and will dramatically improve the traffic flow on the A3.

"As with any project of this magnitude, there is likely to be a large number of issues to be resolved and it is likely that the final scheme will be the best compromise for all users and stakeholders to achieve maximum benefits for the community as a whole.

"The improved traffic flow on the A3 should reduce overall traffic levels on the county road network as levels of rat-running traffic will be reduced by the removal of the Hindhead crossroads bottleneck."

Mr Crossland added: "We are talking to the local community and the Highways Agency as the scheme gets closer and trying to find a pragmatic way forward with a view to going out to public consultation next year."

The final report on the local road network affected by the Hindhead tunnel scheme will go to SCC's decision-making executive committee on January 6.