HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling on East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) to suspend car parking charges in Alton.

Campaigner Ginny Boxall said the council "has to do something" to address the damage caused by the town’s traffic issues.

The Butts Bridge development has proved contentious at every stage. And now the diversions are in full swing, residents told members at Alton’s full town council meeting last week they weren’t working "safely".

But while life is hard for residents living on diversion routes, smaller businesses in the town are now also seeing a knock-on effect.

As well as launching the petition, which has collected more than 500 signatures in a matter of days, Mrs Boxall has been polling independent retailers. She said 66 per cent of them "have seen trade dramatically tail off as compared to this time last year".

"Most believe the bridge diversions have had a negative affect on footfall," she said.

"All the shops surveyed were supportive of the petition."

Many traders "are in fear for their survival if no help is forthcoming" and "all believe" lack of one hour free parking is "a big issue".

Last week a multi-agency team met to look at ways to improve the traffic measures following reports of people moving signs, driving across the Butts, mounting pavements and ignoring diversions.

The district council was among them and this week a spokesman told the Herald: "We look forward to receiving the petition and understand the need to support the town centre in Alton at this time.

"Waiving car park charges would have to be considered carefully but we are also looking at supporting the High Street and its businesses in other ways.

"EHDC and Alton Town Council have been running a Retail Improvement Grant Scheme, giving businesses funding to enhance their shop fronts, help with staff training and to improve the interior of their premises."

He explained the county council "had been working hard to limit disruption" and despite road closures access to the town is "still possible from all directions".

Alton Town Council heard from residents living on Ackender and Queens Road.

At the time, it was just "day 12" of the disruption and the idea of it going on for months was untenable for some.

Michael Gray, chairman of the Ackender Road Residents’ Association, told councillors "we’re beyond the point of teething problems".

He and his neighbours believe the scheme is "not working safely" or "efficiently".

He spoke about the two hours’ worth of "momentous queues" the road sees in the morning. When it clears, the "diverted drivers go demented" and race up the road at "quite incredible" speeds.

Another of the "many, many safety issues" is drivers "simply ignoring the one-way instruction" and even claiming, when confronted, the rule does not "apply" to them.

County councillor Andrew Joy said there were "frankly no surprises" in residents’ accounts as he had received countless correspondence on the topic.

The diversions were always going to be, he said, the "least worst solution" - something residents are now seeing in action.

Highlighting new measures, Mr Joy outlined plans for barriers along the Butts green to prevent motorists from cutting across.

"The fact it’s even necessary I think is a real indictment on the driving public," he added.

Knights Brown, the company working on the bridge, has outlined additional measures to address the concerns including CCTV, supervisors stationed at key points, a pedestrian crossing on Ackender Road, additional signage and more.

Alton Town Council also heard cardiac rehab patients were not attending as a result of difficult access to Chawton Park Road.

Ultimately, with motorists behaving in increasingly dangerous ways in heavily-populated areas, the fear was it was only matter of time before disruption and economic harm became something altogether more tangible and tragic.