Southampton City Council announces full 20mph speed limit programme, starting with Bassett East and Flowers Estate

The programme forms part of plans to make the city's residential areas safer and more pleasant

Southampton City Council has unveiled an ambitious programme to roll out new 20mph speed limits in 14 areas of Southampton. The east of Bassett, including the Flowers Estate, will be the first of the areas to be consulted in detail about the changes. It comes after communities were invited to submit requests for 20mph speed limits in their local areas via an online form introduced in November last year.

Requests demonstrating community support were received for 47 streets or areas in total. These have been consolidated into 14 wider 20mph areas which will be individually consulted over the next two years through to the end of 2023. The first of these formal consultations – for Bassett East and the Flowers Estate – will open on Friday 18 February 2022 and will seek residents’ feedback on the reduced speed limit and other additional traffic calming measures. Once open, this consultation can be accessed online.

It follows close engagement with the Flowers Estate community, which has already been informally consulted about proposals for new 20mph speed limits as well as raised tables and the introduction of give way priority passing on Lobelia Road. In other road safety improvements, the area also recently saw the introduction of a new School Street scheme at Cantell School, where the road outside the school is closed to vehicles (except public transport) at drop-off and pick-up times.

As outlined in the map below, other areas set to be consulted include the west of Bassett; Bitterne Park; the Highfield and Portswood area; Townhill Park; the Shirley and Freemantle area; Polygon and Banister Park; Woolston and Itchen; the north of Peartree; the south of St Denys; Hollybrook; Sholing; and the city centre. Consultation and delivery of 20mph speed limits in these areas will take place over the next two years. Requests for further areas will be opened up again later this year.

Once finalised, the changes will be implemented using £1m of committed funding as part of plans to improve the city’s highways for all users. Some of the intended 20mph speed limits will be delivered as part of other wider schemes, already being funded separately by the council’s Transforming Cities Fund and / or Active Travel Fund programmes.

Councillor Moulton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth, says:

“This programme sends a resounding message that we are committed to improving road safety across the city. As we look ahead, it sets a clear precedent that will see 20mph limits become the norm for our city’s residential streets. I want to send my thanks to the many residents who have engaged so enthusiastically with this process, without whom this programme would not have become a reality.”

For more information about the 20mph programme, visit the council's transport website or view a map of the planned 20mph residential areas.