Portsmouth council to 'investigate' reclassification of seafront road following closure controversy

Portsmouth councillors agreed to investigate the possibility of re-routing the A288 into Eastern Esplanade on the seafront instead.

The A road currently travels south as Milton Road and then along Eastern Parade in Southsea.

It comes after the closure of two sections of the seafront road this summer for social distancing led to a spat between Conservative councillors and the Lib Dem administration.

Councillor Luke Stubbs, who put the motion forward, said it would prevent the road being subject to closures in the future.

Speaking at a virtual full council meeting on Tuesday he said: ‘The council does have the power to change trunk roads, it’s done it before.

‘The A3 used to run along the high street in Old Portsmouth, along the road to Still & West.

‘I feel I need to make this point now. I know there will be a lot of things going on with the seafront in the future but the reality is that if the administration decides to permanently close the seafront road it would be a done deal.’

However, the council's cabinet member for transport, Cllr Lynne Stagg, said: ‘There are a number of problems with this. This is not my opinion, this is just fact.

‘A roads need to be more robustly built to take extra traffic. Officers would have to do an awful lot of work such as feasibility studies and risk assessments just to see if it could be done.’

But Cllr Stubbs referred to the recent transportation of the D-Day landing craft tank along the road.

He added: ‘There has been a very heavy boat dragged along that seafront road. For years there used to be a bus running up and down there without ill effect.’

The future of Eastney Esplanade will be considered as part of the Southsea Coastal Scheme and the wider seafront masterplan that is currently out for consultation.

Planning policy boss, Cllr Hugh Mason, said: ‘I don't think this is the right time to make a decision on this. The decision needs to be made in the context of the seafront works.’

A total of 17 councillors voted in favour of the motion, eight against and 12 abstained.

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