Southsea businesses object to plans to block junction in low-traffic neighbourhood scheme

The closure of the junction of Fawcett Road and Orchard Road is one of the key measures proposed under the £100,000 Active Pompey Neighbourhood plan being progressed by Portsmouth City Council

But the idea has been described as ‘harebrained’ by opponents who dismissed claims Orchard Road was being used as a rat-run and warned it would remove any space for businesses to be able to load and unload goods from lorries.

The Active Pompey Neighbourhood – named low-traffic neighbourhoods elsewhere – has been proposed to cover the area between Goldsmith Avenue, Bath Road, Albert Road and Fawcett Road to tackle issues of rat-runs, speeding and traffic stand-offs in the area.

Draft measures proposed by the council also include a new one-way system on Bramble Road and Talbot Road; speed bumps on Francis Avenue, Sutherland Road, and Fawcett Road; closing the eastern junction between Francis Avenue and Goldsmith Avenue; and 20mph speed limits on Jessie Road, Devonshire Avenue, Lawrence Road and Campbell Road.

But the proposed closure of the junction has prompted opposition with a petition calling for it to be scrapped having been signed by more than 300 people.

Paula Stacey, who runs Paula’s Past & Present, in Fawcett Road who has led the campaign alongside the owners of Orchard Blinds and Coco’s Takeaway, said it would have a ‘disastrous’ impact on businesses in the area.

‘They are looking at taking away loading bays and parking spaces and leaving us with no alternative,’ she said. ‘Effectively it will force us to lose our businesses.

‘Communication from the council has been non-existent, despite what they claim and as far as we can tell they’ve already made their minds up that this will happen.’

Natalie Harvey, the owner of Orchard Blinds, said the lack of communication from the council was ‘infuriating’.

‘I’ve traded here for 35 years and I don’t want to close my business,’ she said. ‘I’m just frustrated that businesses weren’t told anything about this.’

But opposition to the scheme extends beyond the businesses at the northern end of Fawcett Road. Graham Penry, who’s lived in Orchard Road for more than 20 years, said blocking the road to vehicles was unnecessary.

‘It seems an illogical idea with no solid data to back it up,’ he said. ‘This [Orchard Road] has never been a rat-run.

‘With everything that’s wrong with roads in this city, it would appear the council has lost the plot by focusing on this harebrained scheme. It’s a complete waste of money.’

Efforts to bring in the new low-traffic neighbourhood have been spearheaded by councillor Suzy Horton, the city council’s deputy leader and ward councillor for central Southsea, who welcomed their comments.

She said: ‘We absolutely want to take into account the views of businesses on residents on this.

‘There have already been four opportunities for consultation and I’m keen we get as many views as possible.

‘These are draft proposals and a decision on final designs will not be made until we have considered the results of the consultation.

‘There is clearly a pattern of issues with traffic in this area and we now have £100,000 to try and resolve them. We want to make sure that this is spent wisely.’

A consultation event was held at the nearby Priory School at the end of last year and an event was also held at Havelock Community Centre earlier this week.

The online consultation can be found at research.net/r/APNW2

It will run until April 2 before the results of this are considered by the new cabinet member for transport after May’s elections.

Final designs will the be put forward before a final consultation as part of the traffic regulation order process in the summer.