I have been contacted by a number of residents who are angry about what they see as the Labour Council’s latest assault on the motorist. This week, without any consultation with city residents the council will be restricting traffic to one lane in both directions from Bitterne into town including Northam Bridge. This comes on top of the recent narrowing of the Avenue and Bursledon Road.
The council claims their changes to the road layout is, ‘in line with the Government’s recommendations for encouraging safe and active travel as we come out of lockdown.’ This is not the case. The Government’s instructions are clear. Do not use public transport unless you have to and then you must wear a face covering while doing so. It’s not for me to explain the council’s reasons for restricting access into the city, that is for them, but these measures do nothing to help the city’s economic recovery, they hinder it.
Councils are democratically elected to carry out their political programme and that must be respected. But never has this Labour Council put proposals to prevent or restrict access of motor vehicles into the city centre to the people. And this is not the first time they have attempted it. Last year they tried to implement their awful congestion charging scheme but the proposals had to be withdrawn due to a huge public backlash.
We all want cleaner air. Taking out lanes and narrowing others does not achieve that. Instead it makes it worse. Idling traffic is a significant cause of pollution and by implementing these changes the council will be damaging the health of residents not improving it. We need to encourage people to use cleaner, greener transport, for example electric vehicles where possible. Of course, public transport is positive where practical but we should also be encouraging commuters to use e-bicycles and e-scooters (when they become legal) to deal with Southampton’s surrounding hills. You can’t force people out of their cars without an alternative and currently that doesn’t exist.
Most importantly you need to take the people with you. That is the beauty of a democracy. You can’t choose the bits of democracy that suit you. You can’t ignore the people when the people don’t agree with you. You need to put your programme to the people and have it endorsed. If the council think they have the support of the voters let them stand on that platform. Let them tell the voters they want to restrict residents’ movements or charge them to enter the city. If they agree the public will support it.
If you want to object to these proposals you can do so by sending an email to: The Highways Legal Team traffic.orders.legal@south
I would be happy to hear from you if you are opposed or in favour. Feel free to copy me in on your response to the council.
Dear Royston, I live in Manor Farm Road and wish the same measures could be brought here to protect us. Since lockdown there hasn’t been a change in driver behaviour to allow for people on foot stepping into the road to avoid each other, and the many families that have now taken to cycling. In my road it feels like you are risking life and limb at times. The traffic moves far too fast for a residential road. I’ve written to my Ward councillors appealing for help, and suggesting ways in which the road could be made safer, but haven’t received a reply. The businesses in the Triangle could do with more space as well, so that people can sit outside for eating and drinking as a lot of us are not going to sit inside for some time, I suspect. It is possible to do this with very little cost by opening up one side of the Triangle for people. I’d be happy to chat to you about these ideas.
PS I’d like to follow up my comments about Manor Farm Road with a specific comment about the Northam Bridge area. When the Government required the City Council to implement a Clean Air Zone, the A3024 at Northam Bridge was recognised as a hot spot for air pollution, due to the high volume of traffic. Even though most people in the city wanted some controls put on pollution from traffic, the Clean Air Zone did not go ahead. Then Highways England put forward a proposal to push even more traffic through this route, even faster. Later, MacDonald’s put in a proposal for a drive through restaurant here and a massive campaign by local residents led to them withdrawing their application. Local people didn’t want more traffic and more pollution. So it seems the only way to make the environment healthier for local residents is to reduce the amount of traffic on this road, one way or another. As others have said, there is more work to do – build a park and ride for the east of the city, subsidise the cost of ebikes, work with local residents to hear their views in detail. Why not help constituents to have a proper conversation about this, rather than encourage them to shout at one another?
I honestly understand that there has to be changes made to lower the congestion and pollution within this City of my birth. But when the Council allow large shopping cathedrals like West Quay. And ikea to be built in the city centre with the car parking to go along with it, what do they expect. People travel to these meccas of shopping from all over the UK. And as I know from experience it takes longer to travel across this city than it does to drive to Windsor. If the Council puts to many restrictions in place instead of changing their policys it will kill our City. The high Street is already suffering.
I agree that there is a park and ride being built. But as I said you still need to cross the city and theres the issue.
On a separate note, why spend money on the changing wasteful Road layouts when all I see road surfaces that need repairing and overcrowded on road parking, as a recently retired milkman (due to my health) to biggest issues I had is that due to bad roads I used to loose money through damage to products eggs milk ect. And because of bad parking sometimes we as milk men have to stop in middle of the road.
Thank you for your time.
As an aid to anyone who, like our MP, is unaware of the invitation to let the City council know their opinion of the trial road schemes, there is a website provided at least a month ago by the Council here: https://southamptontravelmap.commonplace.is/comments.