Hyde Street closure: support for petition hits 1,600+

Local residents are battling to reverse the closure of Hyde Street introduced last year to make it easier to socially distance on North Walls.

They say closing Hyde Street to through traffic has increased traffic, pollution and congestion on another roads including Worthy Lane and City Road.

Nick and Caroline Dennis, of Worthy Lane, handed the petition with 1,632 names to the highways authority, Hampshire County Council at its offices on Sussex Street. The public consultation over an 18-moth temporary closure ends tomorrow, March 21.

Caroline and Nick Dennis handing in petition at Hampshire County Council offices on Sussex Street

The petition on 38degrees.org.uk website is still open and currently has 1,647 names in support. Most people living on Hyde Street itself strongly support the closure.

Petition organiser Steve Harbourne says most of the supporters are from Winchester or nearby villages.

In a letter with the petition to the county council, Mr Harbourne said: "Although the campaign to reverse the decision to close Hyde Street was initiated by a group of residents of Worthy Lane it is now abundantly clear that support to reverse the closure is drawn significantly from other residents, businesses and road users in Winchester and the surrounding villages.

"We were encouraged by the willingness of councillors and officers in a recent Zoom meeting to acknowledge the validity of our concerns but are saddened that the issue has unfortunately led to it being viewed by some as prioritising the interests of one group versus another, neighbour against neighbour, all within the Hyde Conservation Area.

Last year the county and city councils introduced a temporary closure to through traffic to allow for the narrowing of the two-lane North Walls for better social distancing and to encourage walking and cycling.

But opponents say the price being paid is too high with clear evidence that the closure is increasing traffic on nearby roads such as Worthy Lane, Andover Road and City Road, leading to more congestion and pollution.

Congested traffic on Worthy Lane

They are considering legal action over the introduction of the measure last year, made with no public consultation.

An earlier petition on 38degrees.co.uk by Extinction Rebellion backing measures to limit vehicle use in the city centre now has 812 names towards a target of 1,000.

Last year the county and city councils introduced a temporary closure to through traffic to allow for the narrowing of the two-lane North Walls for better social distancing and to encourage walking and cycling.

The issue is the most controversial road closure in the city since the shutting of College Street and Kingsgate Arch in the early 1990s.

The county council, consulting over an 18-month closure, is also asking opinions on other proposals: the narrowing of North Walls to a single lane, the widening of the footway on that street and a two-way cycle lane; a wider pavement on Jewry Street on the Discovery Centre side; a contraflow cycling lane on Upper High Street and a Puffin crossing on Romsey Road at the junction with Clifton Terrace.

Congested traffic on City Road