Update given on ANPR camera installation in Basingstoke

As previously reported, Hampshire County Council (HCC) said it will install automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras at two locations in Basingstoke where driving restrictions are “frequently ignored”.

The Basingstoke locations in Alencon Link and Norn Hill were two of nine across Hampshire, six of which have already seen cameras installed and operational.

READ MORE: Cameras being installed in Basingstoke to catch drivers breaking road rules

HCC said “work is progressing” to introduce the new traffic enforcement cameras at the nine sites across Hampshire with the aim to improve road safety, reduce congestion and support bus journey reliability.

The council has now provided an update on the chosen Basingstoke locations and said work needs to be carried out before the cameras are installed.

This includes providing clear signage and markings for the restrictions and additional black and white traffic camera enforcement signs.

“We are required to ensure the restrictions are clearly signed and marked, with all legally required signage and markings correct,” a council spokesperson said, adding: “Regular site checks will be undertaken before and after enforcement begins. This is standard practice to monitor the impact of compliance at the site.

“The Basingstoke sites will go live later this summer.”

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The cameras in Alencon Link, outside Basingstoke railway station, are meant to stop drivers using the bus gate which is a pedestrian zone except for buses and taxis.

When the Gazette visited the area, we saw several vehicles that were not taxies driving through the bus gate within a five-minute period.

Taxi driver Gautam Gurung said many cars flout the rules in Alencon Link by either driving through the restricted area or parking on double yellow lines.

The 42-year-old said: “There are double yellow lines and there are always people parking there. It makes it harder for us. Sometimes we have to wait because people drive where they shouldn’t be every day.”

The council asked for views on the proposed locations and held a consultation between February 14 and March 27, 2022 before it was granted civil enforcement powers in July the same year.

Cameras are already being installed at the other locations including in Winchester, Eastleigh, Farnborough, Fareham and Romsey.

Drivers who breach the restrictions will receive a penalty charge notice of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

Cllr Nick Adams-King, the county council’s cabinet lead for universal services including highways, previously said the new enforcement measures are being installed at locations where restrictions are “frequently ignored”.

He added: “The aim is to make these locations safer for all road users and to reduce congestion, with an exception that driver compliance will improve over time.”

This was made possible after the government granted new powers, previously held only by the police, to enable local authorities to undertake civil enforcement of traffic restrictions with a fine.