I’ve lived in Southampton for over 50 years and I’ve never seen people parking on Northam Bridge. If the bollards which are being installed are in fact to keep people safe (which incidentally is a very commendable thing to do) why doesn’t the city council just say so. Don’t treat people like fools.
Dear Sir,
I suspect over-sensitivity here. The following article doesn’t read as if anyone is being taken for a fool. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16367878.new-bollards-to-be-installed-on-northam-bridge/
It suggests to me a measured and aesthetically pleasing way to protect the long term future of the bridge now that it has had it’s infrastructure restored.
I would like to see the paintwork on the railing renewed though. That would set it off very nicely.
Regards.
Clearly, most of those making comments here have failed to read the article you refer to. It would help everybody if people bothered to inform themselves before sounding off.
If the idea of the bollards is to prevent a London Bridge/Westminster Bridge type of terrorist activity, then I must say it’s a waste of money. How many tourists walk over Northam Bridge in order to view the charms of the muddy, smelly river at low tide? Not many, I should imagine. The money spent should be re-allocated to deal with the potholes in Bitterne Park – but of course we are not as important to the Labour Council as, say, St Mary’s
I agree with you, though I do like the river view.
I wonder how much the bollards cost
All the Labour councils in Southampton for the last 40 years, have been a travesty and they are getting worse.
Money wasted on a non existing parking problem, but nothing done about this everywhere in the city. As for pollution if they opened up the empty bus lanes during rush hour the queues would be halved . Also the length of time wasted at traffic lights when there is nothing going through the other lights. From Sholing to the southampton police station driving through Northam I had over 7 mins sat at lights which is a long time when just sat there and nothing coming the other way. This is the same at Regents Park lights the length of time waiting is horrendous and obviously bad for the environment.
Just back to work after my hols, came over the bridge yesterday morning to see the quaint new additions – I wonder how much they have cost the cash-strapped council, and what exactly their purpose is? Looking at the potential charging of motorists to enter this fair [sic] city, perhaps they are there for commuters to hitch their horses to a la a park and ride?
nothing but spending money for the sake of it…maybe to retain budget…”if we dont spend it , we loose it” Absolute waste of time energy and money….they should be called TYRE SHREDDERS…..FFS what has happened to common sense., a car/lorry or bus only need touch those steel corners …and bang goes the tyre….loss of control…and then all hell will break loose….
I’D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH THEY COST TOO…..question: I wonder if there may be a civil engineering contact within the council that placed the order to manufacture,install, and maintain these tyre sheredders
I can see the headlinnes no “Bus falls off Northam bridge onto passing pleasure boat”…
What a waste of time and money, I heartily endorse the comments above- the east of the city don’t matter to the council!
How do lorries clear a path for emergency services with these bollards in place. Cars may be able to clear the road by carefully judging the uneven spaces between them but a 40ft lorry stands no chance. If cars are damaged by these bollards whilst clearing the road for emergency vehicles, will there damages be.paid for, no as they dont even pay for pothole damage to cars. Waste of time and money!!!
What difference do we make whatever we say, nobody takes any notice.
There are more important things to worry about. What about all the older people who would like to move out of their houses and into a more sheltered accommodation. The flats offered by the private builders like MacCarthy and Stone are more expensive than a lot of peoples houses in Southampton. People are buying new build houses because they offer freebies so the price of older properties is going down because they are not selling. Help for the elderly is almost impossible to get so where does that leave them.
Worry about problems that are here not what might happen
These bollards have the look of yet another vanity project by the council.
what a complete waste of time, staff hours and money —-
I believe the way to improve the air quality in the city centre is to build an electric substation in the docks so that all our visiting cruise ships could plug into electric points and turn their polluting engines off. I understand a number of docks throughout the world already have this facility. Why do our council not look to the future and invest for our long term benefit?
I am also unimpressed with the bollards mainly because I regard them as a hazard due to the fact that they overlap the kerb.How long is it going to be before a cyclist catches themselves on bollard and falls off (hopefully not falling under a vehicle in the process.) Also, if drivers pull over close to the kerb when an emergency vehicle wants speedy travel through 2 lanes of rush hour traffic, their tyres could be ripped and ruined. Would our council be sympathetic to a claim for replacement tyres? I think not!
Such a waste of money when the roads are in a really bad state of repair. Over the years an enormous amount of finance has been wasted on ridiculous ‘road (not) improvements’! Such as stupid widening of corner pavements causing traffic to veer out into the road to turn a corner, see Deacon Rd junction with Middle Rd., & a dangerous crossing there as well, & by the Veracity at Middle Rd.
I can only wonder who actually comes up with an answer to a ‘problem’ that actually does not exist! Why not listen to the residents of Southampton? If it takes 3 months to install ‘intelligent’ traffic lights at Northam, why not install a filter lane which directs traffic right into Union Rd Everyone bangs on about Air Quality, why not REDUCE the number of Traffic Lights, and dangerously placed bollards (cars very rarely turn at 90 degrees).- Open up Bus Lanes to Motorcyclists!
Agree with most of the posts. What an utter and complete waste of money!!! Just fed up with the way our council spends its budget on useless things.I lived for over 20 years next to this bridge and I can’t ever remember a car parking or any pedestrian accidents. Also IF a car/lorry/bus breaks down no chance of it pulling up on the pavement to keep a major road into the city clear same for when emergency vehicles need to go through. As someone said wonder who gained from this. Like the cost of the NO entry signs/island in Ruby Road I wonder who lives in that road it would be far better for traffic management if it could be used to filter traffic through to Bursledon Road
AS FOR VEHICLE POLLUTION WE ARE A MAJOR PORT AND HAVE FAWLEY DO NOT BLAME VEHICLES but as vehicles do pollute GET RID of usless traffic lights that only keep vehicles idling whilst the other road has NO cars coming. In the 21st Century I would have thought the lights would be SMARTER.
I give up on this Council and their bright ideas…I thoroughly agree with the previous lady who commented on the stupid traffic arrangements at the corner of Spring road and Sholing road and also the horrific arrangement at the junction of Middle/Deacon Rd. I queried also years ago the closing of Ruby road which causes all traffic to be diverted to Whites road if wishing to get to Bitterne, I was told that the traffic lights at the top of Ruby Rd would have to be altered which was rubbish as we still see cars using this road without any trouble, it would have been different if the lights weren’t already in use. Traffic in Middle road due to the fact there are four schools in this road is horrendous as every one who has to use this road is aware of. The only respite is during holiday periods.
With council rates increasing due in part to health and care costs they decide to put some bollards across Northam Bridge. Nearly as helpful as the big ones they put in the middle of the pavement there, that you fall over.
It beggars belief, next thing you know someone will decide to spend 5 million commemorating RJ Mitchell’s Spitfire.
Wouldn’t a plaque do. It was our boys that flew it.
They don’t need permission they do whatever they like so complain as much as you want nothing is going to be removed and you still going to pay your council tax at the end of the day because they need money and the suckers Here are paying for it ,,,!I still propose as well for them to stop charging people to cross Itchen Bridge on peak rush hours that will be nice from the council as well
That is quite true Joao, a law unto themselves.
How long will it take for someone to trip over the bollards and end up in the road. The cyclist using the pathway in tandem with pedestrians makes these bollards a serious safety risk. I think it would have been better to chuck bags of money over the side of the bridge!
I am surprised that they didn’t put traffic lights up for every bollard instead it would have been money well spent in their minds. It absolutely beggars belief what they throw money at, its only our money after all. I believe that they have planted traffic lights all over the gaff to create congestion, it is surely no coincidence that Southampton is one of the cities that can have a congestion charge if it is deemed to be necessary.
Guess what! The council is now aiming to do that very thing……well who would have thought it?
Want a position on the council? Easy! Get your brain removed and you’re good to go!
we went over the bridge on the bus the other day & also wandered what the hell were those things for. we have lived here for 40 years & never had any problems with the pavement / road/ parking or whatever they are there to stop. Its an accident waiting to happen. where was the notification they were going to do this & why?
There’s one significant problem with the new bollards that hasn’t already been mentioned. The walkway over the bridge is designated as a shared pedestrian/cycle path. The path was already barely wide enough for that purpose, now it’s nearly 2 feet narrower. And a cyclist cannot risk an impact with the bollards which I suspect could cause serious injury if anyone were to fall on them, so will try to give them a wide berth.
I doubt if anyone involved in this decision has ever walked over the bridge towards town during morning rush hour. There must have been a better solution to the problem than this, which in my view makes the idea of the bridge as a shared pedestrian/cycle path no longer safe or viable.
If you think northams bad you obviously hanvent been to Woolston lately
Bollards, bollards everywhere but no one stopped to think! I was bewildered to see bollards being installed as I cycle over Northam bridge twice a day. Among the usual obstacles to avoid such as broken glass and dog excrement, the bollards are an unwelcome addition especially at night. They are an ugly, pointless obstruction to the pavement/cycle path and pavement cleaning. The bridge and pavement refurbishment was great but is not enhanced by the bollard embellishment. Of all the useful things this money could have been spent on in Southampton, it beggars belief that these bollards were seen as a good idea on which to waste our hard earned cash. I know Southampton council has its problems but this act highlights the insanity within. On the bright side, at least the Southampton seagulls have some nice perches.
It would be interesting to know how much it cost and what it would stop, like others I have never seen parking on Northam bridge. Excuse to spend.
It would be nice if the person who signed this off, to explain why it is so needed over other very essential things required in the city, to explain the cost an purpose of the bollards; As mentioned in messages above, they are a Traffic hazard, obviously the person who thought of this either only drives a car or rides a bike in off peak periods, but not even thinking of larger LGV vehicles and buses, and especially when Emergency services when they need to get through, thats a disgrace. They should be removed and the person who signed it off should refund the council or resign, what a completed waste of money.