Bashley villagers turn a corner to win victory in battle to slow down drivers
BASHLEY residents have won another victory in their ongoing battle for measures to crackdown on speeding through the village.
The B3058 Bashley Common Road, which had been plagued by motorists flouting its 30mph limit, now looks set to have double white lines painted on one of its hazardous bends after three decades of campaigning.
Backed up by New Milton Town Council, villagers have been piling pressure on Hampshire County Council to address their concerns about the notorious road, which claimed the lives of a local elderly husband and wife in two separate incidents.
In 2001 George Ames was fatally injured crossing the road outside the post office, six years after his wife Lily died in an accident on her bicycle on the same road.
As reported in the A&T, the campaign came to a head in April 2017, when a packed-out meeting at Bashley Village Hall saw residents voice their concerns to town council representatives. A petition demanding that action be taken also gained over 200 signatures.
Concerns have repeatedly been raised by Burley Villa School of Riding, which is based on the road, and rider helmet cam footage has shown vehicles dangerously overtaking horses.
The first breakthrough came in February last year when two new gateway signs were installed, which welcomed drivers to Bashley but also featured the ‘Think!’ logo, the 30mph limit and the words “Please drive carefully.”
Four smaller ‘Think!’ signs were also installed at intervals along the road in what was a compromise after 30mph repeater signs most desired by villagers were vetoed by the county council.
Electronic speed limit reminder signs purchased by the town council were later erected on the route. These flash the speed limit at passing vehicles detected to be travelling in excess of it.
Residents have been calling for double white lines to be painted to prohibit overtaking at Veals Corner, near Bashley Village Stores and post office, and Willys Well, by the listed cottage of the same name and near the Rising Sun pub.
Both bends have become notorious locally for the dangers they pose.
Over the decades this measure has been refused by the county council, but the villagers have repeatedly emphasised their case that the bends were blackspots and an accident waiting to happen.
Finally, in December, they were overjoyed to hear the lines would be painted at Veals Corner, while a compromise was offered at Willys Well as it was claimed the road there was too narrow for the lines.
Bashley Common Road resident Keith Bloodworth, who with stalwart village ward councillor Alan Rice, led the initial Make Bashley Safe group in 1988, said: “Common sense has prevailed at long last.”
He admitted he had “thrown in the towel” in desperation at the beginning of 2018, but had been spurred back into action after two accidents on the Veals Corner bend. These incidents, which included a collision involving a tractor and three vehicles, could so easily have been fatal, he said.
There had already been three previous significant incidents on the stretch of road between the Rising Sun pub and the old Fernhill Crossroads during the last 30 years.
“I just could not sit at home waiting for the next big bang,” Mr Bloodworth continued. “The last one involving a tractor and three cars was heard by residents way down the road.”
New Milton town councillors met up with Mandy Ware, the county council’s team leader for traffic and safety in the New Forest, in early December for urgent talks. These resulted in an agreement that double white lines and cats eyes would finally be installed following consultation with the police.
Mrs Ware told them it was hoped the work would be completed by the spring, but warned it would involve removing existing lines and depended on the weather and temperature.
Mr Bloodworth argued he had believed painting white lines at the location would not be a problem since the idea had been supported in 1991 by the then head of the New Forest traffic police.
“The traffic has got 10 times worse but nothing else has changed,” he said. “If they were warranted then, they most certainly are now.
“As far as we are concerned the whole idea of doubles is one of prevention to stop impatient motorists from overtaking and to hold back. We are not bothered about enforcement and see them as a deterrent to reinforce the Highways Code.”
As an alternative to the lines at Willys Well, Mrs Ware promised a no overtaking order, which would be subject to consultation and could take six to nine months to finalise.
In response to this, Mr Bloodworth commented: “I only hope it will prove effective and deter idiots from overtaking horse riders there, along with cyclists, pedestrians and runners.
“Some of the video head cam evidence we submitted of horses being overtaken was quite alarming. In one a horse nearly had its head taken off.”
He attributed the campaign’s success in recent years primarily to the vocal and financial support of local district and county councillors from their community engagement allowances, as well as the village hall committee.
“Our town councillors know only too well how dangerous the road is and I always had their full support in the council chamber,” he said.
MP Sir Desmond Swayne and former New Forest District Council chairman Cllr Christine Ward also added their weight to the campaign, recalling their own frightening experiences along the road.
Town councillor Steve Clarke who, along with fellow Bashley ward councillor Neil. Tungate, has been supporting the campaign, agreed it had seemed a never-ending battle but common sense appeared to have prevailed.
Recalling the village hall meeting in April 2017, he said: “Some even offered to paint white lines themselves or even lay down in the road, but for the moment the paint pots can be put away, we have got most of what we asked for.”
Cllr Clarke also promised that he and Cllr Tungate would continue lobbying for the other safety measures yet to be taken.
These include extending the 30mph limit on Beehive Hill to benefit residents at the Westwood and Glendene mobile home parks, and some sort of pavement extension outside the old sawmill on Veals Corner to prevent pedestrians dangerously walking in the road or slipping into the ditch.
“We have a core of drivers who display impatience and lack of courtesy to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders,” Cllr Clarke continue.
“Some of the video recordings taken by our local stable are truly shocking, demonstrating the stupidity and recklessness of some drivers, some of whom as professionals should know better.”
