LYNDHURST bypass campaigners have been given the opportunity to make their case at Hampshire County Council's cabinet meeting on Monday.

For 70 years the town at the crossroads of the A35 and A337 has been a bottleneck.

Summer Sunday tailbacks regularly stretch back miles or more towards Brockenhurst, Christchurch and Cadnam.

At peak times the High Street is often jammed with traffic and choking fumes.

However, previous bypass plans have been blocked by conservation bodies and the Verderers and commoners who do not want to lose any forest grazing for their animals.

Lyndhurst Bypass Committee, backed by the parish council, the chamber of trade and residents' association, has been pushing for the county council to reconsider a bypass scheme.

Bypass committee members want a £40 million outer route from Romsey Road, curving east to a roundabout junction with the A35 Southampton Road and then taking a south-westerly direction under a cut and cover tunnel to Clayhill and the A337 south to Brockenhurst.

They are opposed to two inner routes which would cost between £7 million and £9 million, but split the village.

However, the Verderers and Natural England oppose the outer route.

Committee chairman John Charlesworth said: "We believe that to pay cheap is to pay dear. We have got to go for the outer route."

A public meeting has been called for Thursday night to gauge villagers' opinions before presenting them to the county's cabinet.

County leader Cllr Ken Thornber thanked all the organisations that had contributed to the discussion.

"I also want to invite those who wish to make further representations to make a deputation at the cabinet meeting, giving us the benefit of hearing their views on the conclusions and recommendations first hand," he said.