A NEW haul road has been opened in the Eastleigh borough in a bid to ease traffic on Hamble Lane.

The haul road runs from Bursledon Road to the Taylor Wimpey development site on Hamble Lane and is set to be used by all construction traffic as the access to the site from Hamble Lane has been blocked.

This comes after the site, once used for the popular Bursledon Car Boot Sale, has been earmarked for 200 new homes, a country park and a new road.

Council leader Keith House said: "We have taken a proactive approach in purchasing the land of the former car boot site as we are committed to delivering homes for local people, but this needs to be done responsibly and with the needs of the local area in mind. The haul road and subsequently a new road into the estate from Bursledon Road reinforces our commitment to tackling congestion on Hamble Lane.”