By Maria Zaccaro, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to amend the opening hours of a waterside pathway in St Denys have been refused.
The waterside walkway near homes at Quay 2000 should continue to stay open from 7am to 9pm between April 2 and September 29 and from 7am to 6pm between September 30 and April 1, it has been decided.
A meeting of the Planning and Rights of Way Panel (PROW) at Southampton City Council on Tuesday afternoon (Sept 21) rejected proposals for the pathway to open for fewer hours – between 8am and 8pm from April to October and between 8am and 4pm from November to March.
Quay 2000 RTM Company Ltd put forward the plans to further amend the hours which were first introduced in 2019 as a compromise to requiring the walkway to remain open 24 hours a day, to address further concerns over ASB while still enabling waterfront access to the public.
But the meeting heard that the difference in hours “would not be expected to create an environment which would lead to the return of the antisocial behaviour issues”.
Speaking in favour of the application to change the hours, Andrew Mitchell, who was introduced as being responsible for the management and maintenance of the development, told councillors that there were incidents in the area.
Mr Mitchell told the PROW meeting: “It is very unfair to have to live in fear for what could happen next.”
He described the proposed amended hours as a “good compromise”.
The panel was also told that Mr Mitchell was “in complete agreement” with maintaining the access to the walkway.
But Lisa Mitchell, councillor for Portswood ward (which includes St Denys), asked the panel not to amend the opening hours.
She said the majority of people who use the walkway have been “respectful”.
“It is even more important during winter months that people are able to get out of their homes”, she added.
Cllr Sarah Vaughan, another PROW panel member, said: “At the moment we have no reports of any further anti-social behaviour. I do understand that there’s anti-social behaviour but that is a police matter that the police need to get involved in.”
The panel unanimously refused the plans to reduce the opening hours.
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