Plans to turn part of the A326 into a dual carriageway are progressing - with a planning application potentially coming next year.

Hampshire County Council wants to widen the Totton stretch of the A326 between its junctions with Michigan Way and Cocklydown Lane.

It will be turned into a dual carriageway from Hounsdown Business Park to the M27.

The county council also plans to build an extra southbound lane between the business park and a point just south of Staplewood Lane, Marchwood.

At a full council meeting on Thursday (28 November), New Forest district councillor for Totton South, Cllr David Harrison, asked for an update.

Recently, the Department of Transport has agreed to give the county council a cash injection of £3.5m for the scheme’s development.

Council leader Nick Adams-King said: “Scheme development work has been on hold for the last few months whilst additional funding was required to develop the scheme up to the point of the planning application.

“I’m pleased to say that additional funding has now been approved.

"Development work has restarted, and the scheme webpage will be updated with the latest time scale in due course with an expectation that subject to a funded business case, a planning application will be coming forward next year.”

Cllr Adams-King agreed to meet with Cllr Harrison and the other two county councillors after he pointed out that there are “serious reservations” about the scheme.

He said he aims to find the “best possible way” to deliver the infrastructure needed to support the free port and the Waterside and to understand residents’ concerns.