Latest news with #PortswoodProject
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour council scraps £3m green road scheme that increases traffic
A Labour council has scrapped a £3 million green road scheme after it increased traffic on nearby roads. Southampton city council installed a gate in January that stopped traffic other than buses, bicycles and taxis from using Portswood Road at peak times. The bus gate, which was called the 'Portswood project', led to 1,882 fines issued between Feb 10 and April 10. But following a backlash from residents and a 'comprehensive' review, the council announced that the scheme would be suspended from Thursday. The local authority said the decision was made after a 'significant rise' in traffic along residential streets which 'raises concerns around road safety and congestion'. It also confirmed that, as of March this year, it had already spent more than £1 million of the £3 million allocated for the project. Residents had accused planners of being in 'cloud cuckoo land' when they introduced the expensive scheme, which they said was both 'ridiculous' and a 'waste of money'. Alison Curtis, a business consultant, 60, described the scheme as an 'awful' idea which was going to affect the businesses that lined the road. 'There [are] going to be a lot of unhappy people,' she said, adding: 'I am sure there is a different and better way to encourage people out of their cars, we need an alternative not just to be stopped.' Another pedestrian described it as a 'lose-lose situation' for businesses and that the £3 million should be spent on 'road improvements'. 'Waste of money' The 79-year-old retired NHS manager said: 'It is ridiculous, a waste of money which could be spent on road improvements.' She added: 'I can't see how it is going to benefit the shop owners, it is a lose-lose situation, they are going to lose money.' The council launched a survey in late 2020 on the scheme to gather residents' opinions on the area, and the results found that of the 195 respondents, only three were in favour of the bus priority option. But plans continued to progress, prompting a petition against the proposals that garnered 2,868 signatures and made it to council in 2022-2023. Speaking of the decision to suspend the bus gate, Cllr Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: 'Our approach has always been rooted in evidence and safety. We've used this trial to test the real-world impact of changes designed to make Portswood Broadway a safer, more attractive place to travel and spend time. 'The data shows that while the intended benefits are emerging, we must address unintended effects on surrounding roads. 'We are grateful to all residents and businesses who have taken the time to contact us to share their experiences with their thoughts about the trial.'
BBC News
05-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Part of controversial Southampton road trial axed after feedback
Part of a controversial road scheme has been axed following feedback from the give-way buildout on Brookvale Road is part of Southampton City Council's Portswood Project to reduce traffic in the area, whilst making it safer for cyclists and the authority said following feedback and an independent audit, the buildout would be removed on added the speed limit on nearby Church Lane would also be lowered to 20mph (32km/h) after discussions with Highfield C of E Primary School. The give-way priority buildout between Winn Road and Blenheim Avenue had initially been installed in January alongside various measures in Portswood.A council-commissioned Road Safety Audit, which is due to conclude next week, has been evaluating the safety of the various measures. Councillor Eamonn Keogh, the authority's environment and transport chief, said: "We will continue to make adjustments to the trial infrastructure such as at Brookvale Road and also implement new measures such as at Church Lane to address concerns and improve safety."The wider Portswood Project has proved controversial, with council leaders facing growing pressure over the bus gate scheme at the centre of the separate petitions have attracted hundreds of signatures calling for the scheme to be six-month trial, which started in January, means only buses, taxis and cyclists are permitted to travel at certain hours on stretches of Portswood City Council's Conservative group has called on Mr Keogh to resign over the scheme. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
27-01-2025
- BBC News
Portswood Project for bus, taxi and cycle-only zone starts
Bus, taxi and cycling-only restrictions are being tested along a Southampton city council has launched a trial of the Portswood Project, which aims to improve air quality and limit the number of cars driving through Portswood means only buses, taxis and cyclists are permitted to travel between certain hours through St Denys Road spur and Westridge restrictions are expected to stay in place for the next six months. In January 2024, hundreds of campaigners took to the street to protest against the scheme, claiming it would create a one-mile diversion for 12,000 car City Council said the plans had been developed after consultation with the Portswood community. Active travel zones (ATZs) will also be introduced in neighbouring streets to encourage walking and cycling during the trial. Councillor Eamonn Keogh said: "I would like to express my thanks to everyone who has taken part in the public consultations..."We are conscious of the wide range of views that have been submitted... and these have informed the decision to trial the scheme."He said it represented a "significant change" for locals and promised the authority would be monitoring its restrictions will be enforced between 07:00 and 10:00 GMT and between 16:00 and 19:00 from Monday to council said the project aimed to "improve bus journey times and reliability, improve road safety and encourage people to spend more time and money in the district centre".Andrew Wickham, managing director of Bluestar and Unilink buses, added: "Our team is expecting these changes to have a positive impact on our services and will be working closely with the council throughout the trial, providing feedback on levels of traffic and journey times." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
