The MP for Eastleigh and the leader of Eastleigh Borough Council have got in a row over the plans for M27 resurfacing.

Paul Holmes MP has been pushing for the M27 to be resurfaced for more than three years.

Residents living near the stretch in West End and Hedge End complain about the noise near junction 5 to junction 7 of the motorway.

Writing on Facebook, the MP said: “It was good to meet the team at National Highways at one of their public exhibitions regarding the project I’ve secured for the resurfacing of Junction 5 to 7 of the M27.

“I’ve secured £83 million for these works after long campaigning and lobbying by constituents. It’ll result in less noise for West End and Hedge End.

“Three years of persistence have finally paid off.”

The concrete layer of the M27 between junction 5 and 7 will be overlaid with 180mm of low noise surface asphalt – meaning residents of West End and Hedge End will be less affected by motorway noise.

But the leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, Councillor Keith House, hit back by saying the works could have been done during the smart motorway works on the M27, back in 2018.

He said: “If this has been done with the so-called Smart Motorway works as originally planned before the project was axed due to cuts, there would be no new congestion and millions would have been saved. Just saying!"

But hitting back in turn Mr Holmes said: “Keith House every word of that comment is neither true nor accurate.

“Can’t wait for you to claim it as a Lib Dem success on leaflets.”

Mr Holmes has been critical of the borough council, recently slamming the authority's latest budget shortfall as it has debts of more than £350 million.

Snapping back at Mr Holmes, the Eastleigh councillor said: “Every word is true, given Mike Thornton secured the funds for the resurfacing when MP, before it was cancelled after the Brexit referendum.”