GRIDLOCK in Lyndhurst - the New Forest's worst traffic bottleneck - is imminent and a bypass could be the only answer, councillors have warned.

The saga of Lyndhurst bypass is one of the longest-running in highways history. Road engineers have been wrestling with the idea since the 1930s.

Seven years ago the government squashed the scheme on conservation grounds but increasing traffic pressures on Lyndhurst led Hampshire roads bosses to look at the bypass idea again in 1999, only to discard it once more.

But a new traffic factor has put the on-off relief road back on the agenda once again - the recently approved right turn off the A35 at Colbury is likely to have a knock-back effect on Lyndhurst.

Local parish council chairman Jim Wilding said: "Lyndhurst is suffering a nightmare of traffic chaos which was never imagined in the '30s when the idea of a bypass was first conceived.

"We are facing gridlock in the summer. Something must be done to improve our quality of life.

Cllr Pat Wyeth added: "The county surveyor himself has told me that a bypass is the only answer.

"Last year's High Street improvements were good for pedestrians but the level of traffic through the village increases yearly and the pollution from queuing traffic is unacceptable."

Lyndhurst's county councillor Mel Kendal confirmed that the Lyndhurst bypass was on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting of the New Forest Transportation panel.

"The right turn at Colbury is a major change which wasn't there when we looked at this before," he said.

Cllr John Charlesworth said: "The right turn at Colbury won't ease traffic flow. A lot of vehicles will still come through Lyndhurst and they might find it's a quicker route. The government has said it will set millions aside for village bypasses so we must push hard now, or we might miss out again."