A MAJOR transport strategy to improve how people travel around Winchester has been approved.

The Winchester Movement Strategy, was approved on Tuesday by civic chiefs at Hampshire County Council.

As previously reported, the scheme, which was also rubber-stamped by Winchester City Council last month, includes plans to:

l increase capacity for park and ride;

l give buses priority with measures such as bus gates in Southgate Street and Chesil Street, and bus lanes in Andover Road;

l consolidate parking in larger out-of-city-centre car parks rather than increasing central spaces;

l enhance cycling and pedestrian routes with enhanced pedestrian corridors from the station to the city centre or a reprioritisation of Worthy Lane and Worthy Road in favour of pedestrians;

l change parts of the one-way system by making part of it a two way to allow drivers to enter and  leave the city without having to circulate the one-way system.

However, plans for a western bypass and the introduction of charging zones were dropped following public consultations.

At the meeting of the executive member for environment and transport, civic chiefs also authorised work on the next stage of scheme planning and development works, subject to securing the financial resources needed.

In a document published ahead of the meeting, HCC said: “Very few of the schemes identified in the strategy currently have funding in place. The strategy is intended to help the county and city councils prioritise local resources and bid for external funding.”