PLANS to improve a Hampshire road have been given the green light.

The Woodhouse Lane carriageway in Botley, between A334 Maypole Roundabout and the Hilliers garden Centre, will be widened.

A new shared footway and cycleway will also be created at the site.

The £4.5m work will enable the Botley bypass which is aimed at easing traffic congestion in Botley.

The improvements on Woodhouse Lane will support the new development at Uplands Farm which will see 980 new homes, sports pitches, open spaces and the new Deer Park School.

The proposals were approved by Councillor Rob Humby, executive member for economy, transport and environment at Hampshire County Council, during a meeting held on March 10. He said: “It is all part of a large scheme. The idea of this is to remove the traffic from the centre of Botley. It is linked and it will enable the Botley bypass. I’m very very pleased to see this coming forward. It enables other developments down Woodhouse Lane.”

As previously reported, the development at Uplands Farm Estate consists of a site west of Woodhouse Lane in Hedge End and one north of Winchester Street in Botley. Deer Park School will be built on the site west of Woodhouse Lane and will be the first element to be developed in a bid to provide additional school places before the development of the new housing. Meanwhile, the Botley bypass will run from the junction of the A334 and A3051, near to Mill Hill, at the south-eastern end to Woodhouse Lane, passing to the north and east of Botley village .