HAMPSHIRE County Council has admitted it has received scores of complaints about the fatal Durford Road crossroads.

The notoriously-dangerous junction with Pulens Lane, Heath Road East and Heath Road has been the scene of three serious crashes this year alone, with a list of similar accidents there stretching back years.

The most recent one on Thursday, July 23, was a fatal crash, the victim 90-year-old car passenger Jean Flux of Princes Road in Petersfield.

The county council is responsible for road safety works. Its historic position has been that making amendments so junctions are safe is costly, so changes are ‘injury led’ – and that realistically nothing will be done unless there is a fatality.

But following the fatal crash, the council was forced to admit it had received many complaints about Durford Road crossroads – but wouldn’t give a figure for complaints before 2019.

Deputy council leader and executive member of economy, transport and environment Rob Humby said: “We have received 45 enquiries since the recent and unfortunate fatality at Durford Road crossroads, and six relating to safety at the crossroads in the year prior to the incident.”

He also said already-programmed resurfacing and signage work would help make the rat-run junction safer – the resurfacing is due to start this week.

And those behind an ongoing campaign, including East Hampshire District Council deputy leader Julie Butler, to make the Durford Road junction safer sound almost resigned to the fact nothing other than cosmetic resurfacing work will be done there.

Cllr Butler, along with other local councillors including as Steve Dewey of Petersfield Town Council, has been working for 17 years to get the junction made safer.

She said: “Pulens Lane into Heath Road East is a rat run – cars speed along there.

“Real safety work along the road needs to be carried out as well as resurfacing and new signage, which although helpful won’t solve the problem.

“A real solution needs to be found – perhaps one like Selborne, involving pinch points and chicanes, along Pulens Lane and Heath Road East.

“Recently I have been working with county councillor Rob Mocatta on this but nothing has happened yet, or been promised.

“But we aren’t giving up.”

? Cllr Rob Humby can be emailed at [email protected], Cllr Butler at [email protected] and Cllr Mocatta can be contacted at [email protected]