CPRE celebrates clutter campaign success

Members of the Campaign to Protect Rural England's Hampshire branch, who have campaigned tirelessly against the need for so many signs and unnecessary 'clutter' on our county's rural roads, are celebrating this week at the start of a Hampshire County Council project to increase safety and reduce clutter on the B3006 through the village of Selborne.

CPRE Hampshire launched its Clutter Campaign in 2005 and since then, campaigning volunteers from the charity have met with officers from the County Council's environment department, local County Councillors, Parish Councillors and the Police to discuss the ways in which their mutual concerns could be safely implemented, in order to make our country roads, such as the B3006 and the A32 Meon Valley road, safer without spoiling the landscape.

In September 2006, CPRE announced a national initiative with the RAC Foundation against roadside clutter and intrusive traffic calming, supported with 'Guidelines for Signage in Rural Areas' based on work by the Hampshire branch.

Jeremy Wood, campaigning volunteer from Alton, said:

"We are pleased that Hampshire County Council is taking action at Selborne to make the road safer for all users and reducing roadside clutter at the same time. We are pleased that the County Council has developed these ideas further with Selborne Parish Council to arrive at the proposals for the changes on the B3006. It is gratifying that our concern over the number of road signs in and around Selborne has been acted on, with the current 96 signs on 43 separate posts being reduced to 48 signs on 13 posts. Not only this, but the size of sign has been reduced and those unsightly grey base plates eliminated altogether."

CPRE Hampshire is pleased that the County Council has amended some elements of the traffic-calming scheme on this stretch of the B3006, and changed posts on the 'build-outs' from bright yellow to wooden posts with a yellow stripe, so that they will still be visible to the driver, but less intrusive.

The County Council's Executive Member for Environment, Cllr Mel Kendal, said:

"We take very seriously our role in conserving the special quality and distinctiveness of Hampshire's countryside, towns and villages, while managing and improving a safe road network. Uppermost in our minds is the need to ensure road safety is maintained without compromise, and the fact that we've met most of Government's casualty reduction targets some five years early bears testament to our work in this area. However, with other local authorities we're in the vanguard of a growing body of innovative practice and we look forward to assessing how we might take some of our ideas forward."

Photo: A CPRE Hampshire campaigning volunteer with yellow posts due to be changed

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Notes to editors

CPRE Hampshire strives to promote the beauty, tranquility and diversity of the countryside of Hampshire by the sustainable use of land and other resources in town and country, and encouraging the biodiversity and well-being of rural communities.

For information on CPRE, please contact:
Becky French or Pam Mason, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01962 843655
Email:admin@cprehampshire.org.uk

For all media enquiries, please contact:
Keren Burney, media & communications officer, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01730 894123   Mobile: 07876 780065
Email: kburney000@aol.com

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