Double yellow lines could be painted at 'dangerous' Portsmouth road junction

Councillor Graham Heaney, addressing the portfolio holder for transport, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, asked about the progress of the scheme for the Elm Grove/Grove Road junction, which was approved two years ago. In December 2021, the cabinet approved a £150,000 investment to address casualty and speed reduction measures at the junction. However, the implementation of these measures has been temporarily halted due to the need for a traffic regulation order (TRO) consultation.

Cllr Vernon-Jackson explained that the TRO, which requires a mandatory 21-day public advertising period, has yet to be finalised. He said: “That needs to be advertised for 21 days as part of the statutory process, so the consultation on that part of the scheme hasn’t happened so we can’t implement it until it takes place. I think the issue is that there’s a loss of car parking and that will mean additional double yellow lines that need a TRO. I don’t think the intention when the scheme came forward was there to be any loss of car parking but once the detailed stuff has been done, there is.”

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Cllr Vernon-Jackson hopes the TRO will be presented in the new year, which will provide a clearer picture of the potential reduction in parking spaces. However, he said that “time commitments to things appearing on streets are dangerous to give because things get pushed back”. A common occurrence at this site involves motor vehicles turning right or left across the path of cyclists, whether approaching from the opposite direction or alongside them.

Earlier analysis revealed that the Elm Grove/Grove Road North/South junction witnessed nine accidents in 2019 and 2020. Out of the nine recorded casualties, two were pedestrians and five were cyclists, which is a higher proportion compared to other junctions. This junction emerged as the top priority for intervention among the 13 sites identified in the report. Engineered solutions to the issue could include additional signage, high-friction surfacing and/or separate lanes for cyclists.