THE next phase in a multi-million-pound scheme to improve the roads in Basingstoke has been approved by Hampshire County Council.

The county council has allocated £9.5 million to implement improvements at the A340 Thornycroft Roundabout.

Thornycroft Roundabout is an important part on the Basingstoke road network, situated on the western section of Basingstoke ring road, linking Ringway West to Churchill Way West.

Funds have been allocated by the local growth fund from the EM3 Local Economic Partnership, the county council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Work is due to start in spring next year.

Executive member for environment and transport at the county council, Councillor Rob Humby, said: “These improvements form a further phase in the A30 South West Corridor to Growth.

"This scheme will build on, and complement, the recent improvements at the A30 Winchester Road roundabout and the emerging proposals for improvements to the A30 Brighton Hill, Kempshott, and Hatch Warren roundabouts.

"It also brings the total recent investment on improving access to Basingstoke to approximately £32 million.

“Thornycroft Roundabout is adjacent to Basingstoke Leisure Park, which was identified for redevelopment in Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Adopted Local Plan.

“While a definitive understanding of the proposals in the local plan are not yet known, should the redevelopment of the leisure park site give rise to a significant increase in traffic volumes, significant future works are likely to be needed to the roundabout to increase capacity, and it is expected that any such works would be funded by the developer.”

Improvements will include widening and signalisation of the four approach arms and the circulatory carriageway, improved drainage and the addition of a new Toucan crossing on Churchill Way West, with the aim to improve journey times.

For more information, go to hants.gov.uk/transport/transportschemes/thornycroftroundaboutbasingstoke.