REPRESENTATIVES from Hampshire County Council have been asked to look at the crossroads in Overton in response to a blind resident's request for better pedestrian facilities.

Mark Austen told parish councillors the lack of traffic light synchronisation has made it impossible for people to cross safely.

He had presented a petition containing more than 1,000 signatures to the council several years ago asking for a crossing. It was rejected because it would cost £13,000 and wasn't a safety issue as no-one had been killed trying to cross the road.

"They provided a tactile crossing for blind people as a gesture but I would not use that crossing as it's inappropriate and unsafe," he said.

"There used to be a six-second red light sequence which gave me a safe crossing point. All traffic would stop for a guaranteed six seconds but twice people have tried to help me cross and the lights have changed immediately from red to green.

"Some people may think safe pedestrian crossings are a nonsense.

"But I say, you know you will become elderly and infirm but 60 per cent of you will lose the majority of your sight as well and you may wish in later years you had put a crossing in."

Cllr Brian Langer said the parish council's highways committee has already agreed to write to Hampshire County Council and ask them to visit Overton and look at the junction again.

"The cost has gone up and the last figure we had to put in a pedestrian phase will be £50,000 and that is beyond the parish council's budget," he said. "It is up to the highways authority to fund the balance of that."

Cllr Langer said any pedestrian crossing in the High Street would have legal implications due to the existing bus stop and current parking and there was already a right turn problem for traffic coming off the B3400 and turning into Kingsclere Road or Winchester Road.