By Maria Zaccaro, Local Democracy Reporter

Multi-million pound plans to transform Southampton are set to be reviewed as the Conservatives take control of the city council.

 

 

Several projects including the £18.5m transport plan, the pedestrianisation of Bedford Place as well as plans to revamp the Sports Centre and create a new £32.9m “hub”, including leisure centre, library and health facilities in Bitterne were unveiled by the Labour administration over the past year and a half.

But the projects are now set to be reviewed as the Conservatives take control of the council following the local elections on May 6.

Tory leader Cllr Dan Fitzhenry said the cycle lane on Bitterne Road West will be removed “immediately”.

Street tables in Bedford Place

Carlton Place, and Bedford Place tables

Asked whether the Bedford Place closure to traffic scheme will remain in place, Cllr Fitzhenry, left, said: “No. Our plan will be to reopen Bedford Place. The Carlton Place element that has got approval from the traders will stay but we will consult the traders on both Bedford Place and Carlton Place first. We have their information from the last six months, our plan currently based on that information is to reopen Bedford Place but we will consult those traders first to make sure that that works for them.”

Transport plan

Changes could also be made to the £18.5m transport plan unveiled in February this year.

The proposals include the closure of a number of roads to through traffic, changes to Six Dials, new transport hubs at Albion Place car park and by Southampton Central Station as well as new crossings, wider pavements and cycle lanes outside the civic centre.

Bitterne bus lane

Fitzhenry said: “The current transport plan as it stands – which is Labour’s transport plan – is not something that we will be fully endorsing. We will be reviewing it immediately. The pedestrianisation, the removal of main routes into the city, those things will not be staying but we will properly analyse what’s going on and then we’ll come forward with a revised plan shortly. We made the commitment to remove Bitterne bus lane, that will be happening as soon as we can.”

Artwork in Carlton Place

Review

Talking about the projects which have already been approved he said: “So the projects already been approved like the Bitterne hub, the Sports Centre and housing projects and other projects we will be sensibly looking at these things and say do they meet the requirements of people in the city? We’ll review them and then go forward from there. But we are absolutely committed to upgrading and investing in the Sports Centre, in the municipal golf course, investing in Mayflower Park and coming forward with a key plan to develop that part of the waterfront and Bitterne hub as well.”

Cobbett Road library

Closer to home, and on a somewhat smaller scale, it’s still unknown what the future holds for the Cobbett Road library in Bitterne Park, which remains shut.

Bitterne Park councillor David Fuller (Con) told bitternepark.info: “I stand by our comments on Cobbett Road library – we will do all we can to get it reopened. We are currently seeking a meeting with officers to get the latest on how the previous administration left it and will go from there.”

Last year Fuller said Bitterne Park councillors would do what they could to ensure the council finds a new operator or finds an alternative way to reopen it.

Additional reporting: bitternepark.info