By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

A Southampton councillor has called for the speed at which 20mph zones are introduced across the city to be increased.

Liberal Democrat councillor Thomas Gravatt called on the city council’s Labour leadership to broaden the introducing of reduced speed limits in residential streets.

The local authority brought in 20mph zones in Bassett and Flowers, St Denys, Polygon, and Shirley and Freemantle between July 2022 and September 2023.

Cllr Gravatt. Photo: LRDS

Cllr Gravatt said there were plans to consult on 14 zones around the city three years ago.

Cabinet member for environment and transport Cllr Eamonn Keogh said a further roll out was reliant on additional funding from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Speaking at a recent full council meeting, Swaythling ward member Cllr Gravatt said: “I think it’s fair to say we don’t always agree on changes to the roads in Southampton but I think with 20mph limits in residential streets, there seems to be a broad consensus in this room and across the city that these are a good thing but where are they?

“The question is, is this a priority for the Labour administration and when can we expect to see more 20mph limits and in fact 20mph limits on every residential street in the city?”

Cllr Keogh said it was a priority and the administration believed “fundamentally” that 20mph zones were making streets safer.

Funding to date had involved a mixture of council capital and DfT allocations.

Pressing his point, Cllr Gravatt said: “What I would like to know is how can we move faster on this and is there anything that the council or the Labour administration can do to secure more funding from the department quicker.”

Cllr Keogh, pictured left, said the indications of moving to multi-year financial settlements would help deliver highway schemes and be an improvement from having to “continuously bid” on different pots of money.

“What it (DfT) is better off doing is aggregate all that money together, distribute it across a multi-year settlement and then leave it up to the council to decide on the choices based on what they believe are in the best interests of their residents,” Cllr Keogh said.

“I do believe we are moving towards that multi-year settlement.

“We are going to see an increased allocation and one of the advantages of moving towards a strategic mayoral authority is that those combined authorities the country get significantly more in terms of their bus service improvement grants and other highway funding.”

The cabinet member said it was “unfortunate” 20mph signs had been vandalised in certain areas, adding that an action plan was being worked on to address this.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Labour administration is planning to revert 20mph speed limits in sections of roads in Shirley back to 30mph.

A traffic regulation order consultation for this proposal took place in late 2024 and early 2025 in relation to part of Hill Lane, Romsey Road, Shirley Road and Paynes Road.

• As previously reported, there have been a number of requests for 20 zones in Bitterne Park dating back to 2021, including around Whitworth Crescent, on Genfield Avenue, Manor Farm Road, Oaktree Road, St Catherines Road and Dimond Road. It's understood these are still yet to go forward to formal consultation stage.

Links
SCC: Consultation
SCC: 20mph Residents’ Requests

Previously
Consultations to take place on proposed 20mph schemes - bitternepark.info 2022
Residents launch petition for 20mph zone on Manor Farm Road - bitternepark.info 2021

Cllr Keogh photo: SCC