Highway Land Ownership

Since Hampshire County Council was formed in 1889, it has embarked on a continuous programme of highway improvements. As part of this Hampshire has been acquiring land for new bypasses, dual carriageways road widenings, visibility improvements, realigning bends and constructing footways.

The highway network currently exceeds 8,000 km the majority of which has, at some time been improved.The estimated total of land held by Hampshire County is in excess of 20,000 individual parcels of land. Hence Hampshire County Council is arguably the largest landowner in the County.

Not all of the land that Hampshire has acquired is beneath the surfaced road surface, much is verge, cutting slopes or embankments, some is off highway altogether, either as drainage routes or purchased for proposed road schemes yet to be constructed.

A project has just been commenced to digitise all Hampshire County Council highway land acquisitions onto GIS. It is envisaged that this will be completed by April 2007.

When this has been completed it will enable Hampshire County Council to manage it's highway land assets appropriately by determining highway maintenance responsibilities, recognising unauthorised occupation of highway land and raising revenue by the disposal of surplus land.

For further information please contact Mark Housby 01962 847093