New powers for Hampshire County Council to fine drivers breaking rules at A326 danger junction

HAMPSHIRE County Council has taken on powers previously only held by the police to enforce a road junction near Marchwood which was the scene of a fatal crash.

The site is one of 10 dangerous locations across the county where HCC can now level £70 fines against motorists breaking the rules, writes Natalia Forero of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

They include the prohibition against a right turn from Staplewood Lane at the junction with the A326 Marchwood bypass.

As reported in the A&T, motorcyclist Paul Matthews (56) was killed there in 2018 after a delivery driver pulled out onto the main road.

The council said that civil enforcement of restrictions will initially use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera technology.

HCC leader Cllr Rob Humby signed off the decision, formally taking up new powers recently offered by the government.

He said: “It is important that we have a policy to underpin the county council’s enforcement activity which aims to ensure road users respect and adhere to restrictions where they apply on the highway.

"The measures are introduced for very good reasons and encouraging compliance with highway laws will help to support road safety, minimise delay and inconvenience by keeping traffic moving, including enabling priority access for public transport and to encourage people to walk and cycle more.”

The locations have been chosen based on the number of recorded collisions that have resulted in an injury.

Other factors include historical reports of poor compliance of the rules, and the potential for traffic congestion and delays.

Contraventions include being stationary on a yellow box marked section of road, ignoring banned turns, or parking on Keep Clear areas, such as those near schools.

Where necessary, road signs and markings will be updated for clarity and to comply with Department for Transport regulations, said HCC.

The new powers were granted in July 2022 by the transport secretary and have now been formally adopted.

Other locations could be considered in a subsequent round.

Before any site is authorised, there will be a six-month consultation by HCC.

During the first six months after implementing the new policy, the local authority is expected to issue warning notices for first-time offences instead of fines.

The money raised by the enforcement scheme will go to HCC but must be invested in public transport, highway improvements or environmental work.

In 2020, the RAC expressed concern after Freedom of Information request in August 2020 found that local authorities in London and Cardiff generated almost £60m from enforcing these offences in 2018/19.