Chandler's Ford residents turned out in force when proposals to solve traffic worries at a busy shopping centre went on public display.

The exhibition at the Methodist Church's Dovetail Centre focused on problems that could arise from the development of a Waitrose supermarket now nearing completion at Fryern Hill.

Proposals to reduce traffic speeds and deter the development of 'rat-runs' came from a local traffic group comprising residents, school representatives, councillors and others around Chandler's Ford.

Their brief was to consider how best to use the £100,000 made available as a result of the Waitrose development.

Suggestions included the construction of build-outs along Oakmount Road and gateways at the entrances to some residential roads off Oakmount Road and Winchester Road.

Exhibition visitors also learned that 20mph zones in residential areas, a controlled crossing in Oakmount Road and 'access only' orders for side roads were still under consideration.

But Eastleigh council's Chandler's Ford co-ordinator Andy Milner stressed nothing had been decided.

He said: "Hampshire County Council wanted to consult on what ideas would be most acceptable to local residents. We took the bull by the horns and set up a consultation group.

"We have come up with a batch of ideas that we want to feed back to the county but we want to check we are thinking along the right lines. If we are, we will put these to the county - but it is their decision on how the money is spent."

Chairman of the Fryern Residents' Association, Malcolm Mathews, said: "At the moment it is all very speculative because we don't know where the problem areas are going to be.

"We are listening to the advice given by the council officers and the highway authority and we are hoping to be able to make some improvements and be involved in it."

Concerns included pedestrians crossing Oakmount Road and traffic speed.

Mr Mathews added: "It would be nice to have somewhere we enjoy living rather than the nightmare we foresee."