These three roads in Portsmouth's city centre will be closed to encourage social distancing from tonight

From 8pm tonight (May 22) Charlotte Street - from Landport View to Cascades Approach, Isambard Brunel Road - from Station Street to Greetham Streetand Guildhall Walk - from the junction of Alec Rose Lane to the junction of Spring Gardens, will be closed to all vehicles except buses.

The move comes as the first step in a wider review by Portsmouth City Council of the city's road network, looking to create space for cycling and walking.

Councillor Lynne Stagg, the council's traffic and transport boss, said: 'The number of people cycling and walking in Portsmouth has sky-rocketed and we want that to continue by making more space for people to do this safely.

'Cycling and walking is great for both your physical and mental health, and which also significantly improves air quality, which in turn helps save lives.'

Deliveries and collections within these roads will still be permitted between 8pm and 8am and it is thought the extra space could be used by businesses and restaurants in the future to ensure social distancing is possible.

It comes as local environmental groups launched the Pompey Street Space campaign and petition, which has more than 1,6000 signatures, calling on the council to widen pavements and create a city-wide network of cycle lanes.

A spokesman for Pompey Street Space said: 'We welcome these changes from the council and want to boost public support for them.

'However, traffic levels are now rising sharply across the city, and we are hearing from residents in North End about how hard it is to use the narrow pavements on London Road whilst keeping two metres apart.

'This is why we are urging the council to go further and immediately widen pavements, and put in a temporary city wide network of safe pedestrian and cycle streets.'

Labour councillor Graham Heaney believed the road closures were 'a good start.'

'I think we are going to have to go further,' he said.

'The government is asking councils to plan more for to allow for social distancing in the streets. It's a good start and will need to see how it works.

'We have a good opportunity now to look at the way we travel.'

But fears were raised that businesses in the roads affected hadn't been fully consulted.

Tory group leader Cllr Donna Jones said: 'It’s important that councils represent people and businesses and that includes taking their views into consideration.

'A council that simply imposes things on people without "meaningful consultation" is in fact breaking local government legislation.

'Whether closing these roads is the right or wrong thing to do, who knows, because no business has been spoken to.'

The council stated that residents and businesses along the roads had been contacted so they could provide feedback about the closures.

It is planned the closures will be 'continuously reviewed.'

Concerns for taxi companies over road closures

'WE SHOULD have been consulted' - concerns were raised that taxi firms could be hit by the road closures.

Tory leader Councillor Donna Jones believed the decision to close parts of three roads in Portsmouth was 'badly handled.' She said: 'These are issues that will affect many people, make other roads busier and I bet no one has spoken to the taxi trade. This is a badly handled decision by all involved.'

A taxi driver, who has worked in the city for more than 40 years, agreed. He said: 'By shutting roads it's like blocking a river - the water and the cars have to go somewhere.

'For example, if people come out from the train station and want to go to the ferry you're going to have to drive a long way round to get there now. That will actually cause more pollution.

'We all want the city to be a lovely place with clean air, but closing these roads is not the way to do it. We need less traffic lights causing people to stop and causing congestion for a start.

'I think taxi drivers should have been consulted about this. I know they talk to environmental groups about things like this. It's discriminating against us. Business is already bad because of lockdown.'