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Portswood Project

PORTSWOOD RD ST DENYS RD 02 (2)

Summary

Connecting Southampton - Portswood Project update March 2024. A part time bus gate will be trialled on Portswood Road from early 2025. Portswood Road Bus Gate. Bus gate (motor vehicle restriction) will be trialled on Portswood Road between Westridge Road and St Denys Road spur. Operational 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Saturday. Access for loading HGVs will be retained through the bus gate south - north with a loading bay proposed for St Denys Road spur. Introduced on a trial basis initially for a minimum of 6 months to assess the impact. Active Travel Zone. Measures to limit the impact on adjacent streets will be trialled alongside the bus gate. Any Active Travel Zone will be developed through co-design workshops with the local community indicating which measures they would like to see on their streets. Steering Group. A steering group will be established to oversee the implication and outcome of the bus gate trial. The group is to be made up of representatives from local residents' associations, retailers/traders, representatives from lobby groups such as people with mobility issues. Timeline to start of trial. Spring 2024 - First Steering Group meeting. Summer 2024 - Second Steering Group Meeting - ATZ co-design workshops. Autumn 2024 - Third Steering Group meeting - Design of trial bus gate and ATZ trial - Traffic Regulation Order Consultation. Winter 2024/25 - Fourth Steering Group meeting - Implementation of trial schemes - Experimental Traffic Regulation Order Consultation. Decision Making Process. Steering Group (invite only) to Cabinet Member. ATZ Co-design workshops, potential other working groups and technical input from officers/experts to Steering Group.

Project progress

We are now moving into the next project phase which will trial a part-time bus/taxi/cycle-only section of Portswood Road, between St Denys Road spur and Westridge Road, and Active Travel Zones in neighbouring streets, both from early 2025.

By restricting general traffic through the Broadway but still allowing access to car parking spaces, the project aims to improve bus journey times and deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. The proposals have been developed with advice from a local Steering Group. 

The bus gate and ATZs will both be introduced on a trial basis for a minimum of 6 months to assess the potential impact. The part-time bus/taxi/cycle-only section will be operational Monday to Saturday between the hours of 7:00am-10:00am and 4:00pm-7:00pm. During the trial, access will be maintained northbound through the bus gate for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), with a loading bay proposed for St Denys Road spur. In addition to this, we are looking to introduce the following improvements to the area:

  • New, larger bus shelters
  • Two new parklets; offering seating, planting and cycle parking
  • Contraflow cycle lane on St Denys Road spur
  • 20-mph limit for the area
  • New buildouts with cycle bypasses on Brookvale Road and Belmont Road
  • Traffic filter on Russell Place at its junction with Abbotts Way.

Some preparatory works will be required during November, December and January. Details of these and any associated traffic management will be communicated in advance on the project website and by letter to directly affected residents.

We plan to continue working with local residents’ associations, retailers, traders and other representatives from the community through the Portswood Project Steering Group to monitor the implementation, progress and outcome of the trial.

Project objectives

As part of the trial, the level of achievement of each of the following objectives for the Portswood Project will be measured:

  1. To regenerate and make Portswood District Centre a more attractive, accessible, vibrant and competitive economic destination so people spend more time and money here; 
  2. To improve the air quality, environment and biodiversity; 
  3. To provide more space for people walking and wheeling with improved connectivity and road safety; 
  4. To improve the choices of transport modes for people to use; 
  5. To improve bus reliability and journey times and create better bus stops; 
  6. To enhance quality of life for all who live, work or shop in the area;
  7. To reduce the amount of through route traffic on local roads;
  8. To reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

Latest News

16 December 2024

We are now moving into the next phase of the project which is delivering the part-time bus/taxi/cycle-only section of Portswood Road, between St Denys Road spur and Westridge Road, Active Travel Zones and 20mph signage in neighbouring streets. Below is an overview of the planned works schedule:

  • Bus Gate Installation - works are expected to begin Monday 6 January 2025 and take approximately 2 weeks to complete.
  • Active Travel Zones – works are expected to begin Monday 6 January 2025 and take approximately 3 weeks to complete.
  • 20mph signage – works are expected to begin Monday 6 January 2025 and take approximately 3 weeks to complete.

During the works, traffic restrictions will be in place as follows:

Bus Gate Installation

Portswood Road (from St Denys Road spur to Westridge Road):

Works will start in this area from Monday 6 January for approximately 2 weeks. Restrictions include footway incursions in some areas – an alternative footpath will be signed.

The majority of works will take place between 7:00am-5:00pm, however, there will be overnight road closures on Portswood Road from Monday 13 January for 5 nights between the hours of 8:00pm-6:00am to complete resurfacing.

St Denys Road spur

St Denys Road spur will be closed 24 hours a day for the entirety of the 2 weeks to create a welfare, storage, and safety zone for our team whilst we carry out construction on Portswood Road.

Active Travel Zone Installation

Highfield Lane

Construction of buildouts is planned to start on Highfield Lane Monday 6 January for approximately 4 days. During this time, we will be working in the area between 7:00am-5:00pm, temporary traffic signals will be in place whilst we work.

Brookvale Road, Russell Place, and Belmont Road

Construction of buildouts are planned to take place along Brookvale Road, Russell Place and Belmont Road from Monday 13 January for approximately 11 days. Works are programmed to begin along Brookvale Road and will then progress southbound. A road closure will be in place between 7:00am-5:00pm when we’re working in each area. Closures will be limited to the vicinity of the working area, and signed diversion routes will be in place.

Access to driveways within the closure area will be provided for residents, however there may be short delays while our team move their equipment or barriers out of the carriageway.

20mph Signage Installation

Portswood Area

20mph signage installation works are due to begin from Monday 6 January and are expected to take 2 weeks. The installation will involve footway incursions in some areas – an alternative footpath will be signed.

A map of the works areas in PortswoodA map of the works areas in Portswood

A map of the works area at Belmont Road

25 October 2024

Legal consultation on the Portswood Project 

To introduce the scheme, the Council has to undertake a number of formal legal processes. 

The Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) for the bus-gate and ATZs were made on 23rd October and will come into force on 27th January 2025. The Council will be considering in due course whether or not to make these ETROs permanent. Any person may object to, or make any other comment on, the ETROs being made permanent within six months of them coming into force (or within six months of any modification to ETRO coming into force, whichever is later). Please note that comments made on the ETROs before they come into force will be recorded but will only be considered along with all other responses to the ETROs following the end of the six-month consultation period.  

The consultation on the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and other regulatory notices will run from 25 October 2024 to 15 November 2024. During this time, we encourage you to comment. This can be done online at: Traffic Regulation Order Consultations or in writing to the Highways Legal Team at Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY. Alternatively, staff at Portswood Library can help you to use the online feedback form. Once the consultation period closes, we will consider all the feedback before making a decision on how to proceed. 

The scheme plans and all other documents can be viewed online at: Traffic Regulation Order Consultations . Alternatively, hard copies can be viewed at: 

  • October Books,189 Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton, SO17 2NF 
  • Portswood Library, Portswood Road, Portswood, Southampton, SO17 2NG 
  • Gateway in the Civic Centre, Southampton SO14 7LY 

24 October 2024

The Portswood Project Steering Group had its third meeting on Monday 21 October. Below is a summary of the meeting: 

New members were introduced to the Group. The Group was reminded that the Meeting 2 Report and Annexes are now published on the Council website. Officers introduced the detailed design for the ATZ, and outlined changes from the previous sketches. Members discussed the upcoming Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation. Officers outlined the provisional dates for preparatory works required for the scheme installation. The Group discussed the baseline data collection which will feed into the proposed KPIs. The Chair summarised the key next steps: 

  • The Council will be sending a letter to properties in the area on 25 October with an update on the project and information about the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation and how to comment. A copy will be shared with members; 
  • The consultant’s monitoring report containing baseline data will be shared with the Council in November, and following this discussed with the Steering Group – either by email or via an additional monitoring sub-group meeting; 
  • A written progress report including outcome of the TRO consultation and next steps for the scheme installation will be shared with the group in early December. 

The next meeting of the group will be on 15 January 2025.