Itchen Valley residents take rural roads concerns to Hampshire County Council

On 16 July 2026, two Itchen Valley residents appeared before Hampshire County Council’s Universal Services Select Committee to present a deputation highlighting the growing impact of traffic on our rural communities.

The deputation was the culmination of many months of work involving residents, the Itchen Valley Parish Council and our local County Councillor. It focused on a range of concerns including increasing volumes of through traffic, inappropriate use of rural lanes by satellite navigation systems, speeding, road safety, and the need for Hampshire County Council to make better use of local knowledge when identifying and addressing problems.

While the Committee did not make any immediate decisions, members listened carefully to the evidence presented and acknowledged many of the concerns raised. We hope the deputation will help maintain momentum for further dialogue with Hampshire County Council and encourage a more collaborative approach to tackling the challenges facing our rural road network.

Following the meeting, the Parish Council issued a press release summarising the key issues and our response to the discussion.

For anyone wishing to explore the deputation in more detail, we have also provided:

• the Parish Council’s press release;
• a transcript of the deputation and the Committee’s response; and
• a link to the video of the deputation and the Executive Member’s response (starts at 24’20” and lasts 10 minutes)

The Parish Council would like to thank everyone who has supported this campaign by sharing information, reporting issues and contributing ideas. Local knowledge remains one of our greatest assets, and we will continue to work constructively with Hampshire County Council, our County Councillor and local MP Danny Chambers to seek practical improvements for residents across the Itchen Valley.