CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a link road through a historic football stadium could be resurrected in the future, The Gazette can report.

The Camrose link road was being considered by Hampshire County Council as part of its plans to upgrade Brighton Hill roundabout, but it was dropped last year after planning applications to redevelop the stadium were refused.

It would have seen the Western Way entry onto the traffic blackspot closed, and traffic instead routed through the ground and connected to the A30 Winchester Road at a new traffic light-controlled junction.

Now, a council report has revealed that the plans for a Camrose link road could be resurrected in the future.

The report, presented to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's cabinet last week, revealed that the plans have not been "formally excluded in the future".

It comes after the deputy leader of Hampshire County Council, the authority with responsibility for the roads, previously said the plans would continue without the controversial link road.

Cllr Rob Humby told The Gazette last November: "A report is due to come to me for consideration in December with proposals to move forward with this scheme following our last consultation, and importantly also on the basis that the Camrose link road is not going ahead at this time, and therefore that the Western Way arm will remain fully open onto the new roundabout.

"The report will also cover a revised programme for the scheme and the next steps to finalising the detailed design prior to construction."

That report, and the plans for the roundabout without the link road, were approved, and the scheme will, in its initial form at least, not contain the link road. The entry from Western Way will remain open once the initial work is completed, estimated to be in 2023.

But this latest revelation will likely spark fears that the saga over the controversial link road could rumble on for years to come.

The Camrose link road plans were heavily criticised by football fans, councillors and residents alike.

Labour councillor and Brighton Hill representative Cllr Andy McCormick previously said: "If they are going to keep Western Way open then it will take a hit in terms of traffic but it means that there is every possibility that the football club can go back to the Camrose which good news.

"On the whole it is probably going to be a better thing for the residents of South Ham but there might be a bit of a hit on the traffic throughput."

Meanwhile, a resident of Mansfield Road, directly behind the stadium and site of the link road, told the Gazette that her house would be "lit up from every direction" by the noise and light pollution, as well as exhaust fumes.

Hampshire County Council have been contacted for comment.

The £20 million project to redevelop Brighton Hill roundabout was due to start last year, but the Covid-19 pandemic and the rejection of planning permission for the Camrose redevelopment caused delays.

It is now due to start in November 2021, and is expected to take two years.