Vyne Road railway bridge transformed after campaign

In 2021 hundreds of residents of Norden and the surrounding area signed a petition, calling on Hampshire County Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Network Rail to work together to address the issue of bird poo and dead birds on the footpath at Vyne Road.

This was caused by pigeons using the bridge as a place to sit.

Campaigners branded the state of the road as “disgusting” and "appalling”, dubbing the railway bridge “pigeon poo bridge”.

Many also attended a demonstration in November 2021 to protest against the lack of action.

Residents protest in November 2021. Image: Craig Fletcher Now, an £84,000 improvement project has been carried out by the two councils and Network Rail.

Work included new guttering and drainage, enhanced cleaning, painting the walls and measures to prevent pigeons from roosting in the tunnels.

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As part of the project, Basingstoke artist Fatima Pantoja and community volunteers have transformed a section of the tunnel with a colourful mural, funded by the borough council.

The design, which celebrates South View, notable Basingstoke figures and the area’s biodiversity, was created following a resident workshop organised by the South View Residents’ Association and Basingstoke Heritage Society.

Cabinet member for residents’ services and housing Cllr Laura James said: “I am pleased that, by working together with Hampshire County Council and Network Rail, we have been able to address an issue which really matters to the local community and drive forward improvement works as quickly as possible.

“I would like to thank Fatima and residents for working with us and bringing this well-used tunnel to life with a colourful mural which has been inspired by the local community and Basingstoke Heritage Society to celebrate the area. We hope these improvements will make walking and cycling through the tunnel a better experience for everyone and we will continue to work with our partners to explore further improvements that could be made at the Chapel Hill side of the bridge.”

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Cllr Nick Adams-King, the county council's executive lead member for universal services, said: “The county council is very pleased that on this occasion, we have been able to contribute towards making the bridge a more pleasant place under which people walk and cycle.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "It’s great to see the scheme completed from start to finish."

They continued: “We want Basingstoke’s railway infrastructure to be a clean and welcoming environment for passengers and local residents living alongside the railway. We hope that art schemes like this will encourage people to look after the infrastructure for generations to come.”