A CROSSING on a dangerous Romsey road will be put in place for the start of the next school year after a campaigning battle.

Following almost a year of urging Hampshire County Council to act, the authority confirmed it would be progressing with plans for the safe crossing point on Duttons Road by installing a puffin crossing.

Now, leader Roy Perry has confirmed it will be in place for the next school year to aid students walking to the town's train station and industrial estate.

Nik Daas, founder of campaign group Romsey Youth Voices, was a key figure in the battle to secure the crossing, and said the latest steps were "extremely positive".

Nik had previously said he wanted the crossing built by the council before October 1 of this year.

He said: "These are extremely positive steps to allowing the pupils of Romsey School safe passage across Duttons Road.

"I am pleased after all the hard campaigning myself and my team put in, we are soon going to see the positive result.

"It will be hugely satisfying to see our groups' campaigning achieve such great outcomes for our town and its residents."

Nik also said that although the council still has some areas of land to acquire, they had begun negotiations with land owners.

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Roy Perry, said: "I'm pleased to say that all is going to plan as we get everything in place to install a puffin crossing in Duttons Road.

"I think that will be a very helpful alternative to the school patrol and of course would be of use to residents all the time, not just at school opening and closing times.

"We are aiming to start on site during the school summer holidays so the crossing should be ready to use by the start of the new school year in September.

"Clearly we will in discussion with the school on the details."

Romsey councillor Mark Cooper, who also campaigned for the crossing alongside the parent campaign leader Claire Wise, said: "I'm very pleased the county council has been able to respond to the parents' call for a puffin crossing and I'm pleased I was able to help facilitate it and I thank the cabinet member, cllr Rob Humby, for finding a way to fund the scheme.

"The safety of our children is paramount. Ever since the county decided not to replace the lollipop crossing patrol, Duttons Road has been a dangerous crossing with dozens of school pupils and HGV's all confined to a very small space.

"The development of more housing to the north of the town has very significantly added to the numbers of children crossing at both ends of the school day. I look forward to the completion of the end of the school days."

Head teacher at Romsey School, Colm Kavanagh said: "We are pleased that this crossing, which parents and school have campaign for, is finally being installed.

"We look forward to it being present by September 2018 so that our pupils and all of the people who cross at this point have safe access to the school and other facilities in the community."