THREE months of hard work by a determined team of volunteers culminated in the presentation of a petition to Hampshire County Council (HCC) on Thursday (November 7), calling for an extension to the existing town centre 20mph zone.

The petition was signed by more than 600 residents living in the roads concerned, who are asking that the existing scheme be extended into parts of Westbrooke and Whitedown wards.

It was handed in by Mike Gray, chairman of Ackender Road Residents’ Association, secretary Rosie Hayward, committee member Mike Hayward and Nancy Clarke of Queens Road.

In five of the roads – Ackender, High Ridge, Kings, Queens, Rack Close, and Westbrooke – “serious and serial rat-running” was cited by many residents as a major concern.

“Rat runners are by nature people in a hurry; they are racers with no regard for the people who live on these roads,” said one resident, adding: “A 20mph will reinforce the existing Traffic Regulation Order which restricts access to those who have legitimate business there.”

The full council listened for 10 minutes as Mike Gray and Mike Hayward made a presentation, referring to the “total illogicality of the existing scheme which ends a good 12 metres up into Ackender Road, sending entirely the wrong message: that it is acceptable for drivers to speed up as they approach Alton’s most populous residential road; far less suited to 30mph than the road they have just left”.

The petitioners now hope HCC will “speedily review its existing policy on 20mph schemes and take into account factors other than injury accidents, such as road function and the composition of road users, when prioritising where money should be spent”.