HIGHWAYS England have been accused of ignoring the issues raised by Ringwood residents over works to widen a major commuter route.

The authority is set to carry out a major improvement scheme on the A31, adding a third lane to the westbound carriageway.

Work is due to begin in 2021, two years later than originally planned, and town councillors have now voiced concerns they have with the consultation process.

Ringwood Town Council said they did not receive a direct response from Highways England to the points raised during the publication consultation held in June and July last year.

The council’s planning committee was told at a recent meeting that deputy town clerk Jo Hurd had to chase Highways for a reply, however members have been left frustrated by what was presented to them.

Many of the council’s observations were either noted or referred onto the design team, it was said.

Cllr Chris Treleaven, chairman of the planning committee, said: “We are disappointed because they have not reacted in a definite way to the consultation response we put forward.

“They said they will be considering them at the detailed design stage, but these are important issues such as West Street providing emergency access - it isn’t detail it is a matter of safety. That is just one of the concerns we raised.

“We were asked to make some comments, which we did, and then they come back to us after some time and it feels like they did not take our view on board.

“The consultation was an important stage if it has an impact.

“We think they have not really listened to us, but we will not leave it here.

“We do agree that the road should be widened as we cannot put up with the congestion that occurs daily on the trunk road and then into the town, but we have issues that certainly need to be addressed.”

A further response is being sent by Ringwood Town Council to Highways England to highlight the new concerns.

A spokesperson for Highways England said last summer's consultation does not replace any statuary consultation, which is due to take place in Spring 2019.

They added: "We are in the early stages of scheme design and as the scheme progresses we will regularly meet Ringwood Town Council to ensure any concerns are addressed.”

A summary report has been produced by Highways England and can be viewed at highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/he/a31-ringwood-improvement.

Additional disappointment from councillors came from the discovery that funds for town centre improvements were not included as part of the scheme.

Following a conference call with Highways England, New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council, Ms Hurd reported that to secure any funds for development in the town, Ringwood Town Council would need to bid with no guarantee of success.

“We won’t be allowed to turn up and argue the case for securing funds,” Cllr Treleaven added. “It is done on a national basis and we will have to put forward our stance on obtaining finances without knowing what we’re up against. We do not think they have taken into account how much impact having a trunk road going through the middle of the town has.”