STREET SPACE

On 18 th May, environmental groups across the city began the Pompey Street Space campaign (PSS) calling upon Portsmouth City Council to make the city safe for residents to walk, wheel, shop and cycle, while keeping two metres apart. “During the lockdown the number of residents walking and cycling rose greatly. The cleaner air and more peaceful streets were a revelation to many people. It was a vision of how our city could be in future,” said a PSS spokesman. “As the lockdown has eased, the government has advised against using public transport for people returning to work. This is one of the reasons traffic levels are now higher, on some roads, than this time last year. To avoid even worse congestion, air pollution, and road danger, it’s essential the council urgently facilitate alternative ways of travelling.” It would seem quite a few people agree, as the campaign’s petition has attracted 2,700 signatures so far. Meanwhile the council has bid for £192,000, available to them as part of the Department for Transport’s Emergency Active Travel Fund, which will help fund some road closures and cycle routes. PSS welcome this news, but are concerned that this provision will only benefit the south of the city–which would not enable families or commuters to travel safely and quickly from the north of the city to Southsea by bicycle. “We appreciate these are difficult times financially, but what we are suggesting are inexpensive provisions, using paint, plastic, and planters,” said Rachel Hudson of Friends of the Earth.

“We also understand that Portsmouth is stuck in a number of vicious circles. Despite being a flat, compact city, we don’t have a strong cycling culture, mainly because there isn’t a joined up network of cycling routes, or secure bike storage facilities. Consequently, people use cars even for short journeys, which in turn causes congestion and makes bus travel slower, thus less popular and more expensive. We believe one of the ways this circle can be broken is by making it safer and more enjoyable for people to cycle or walk around the city. We’d like to see a more ambitious scheme, which could also attract a further round of funding of £768,000,” said Nick Sebley, one of the organisers of the campaign. In response, Steve Pitt, Deputy Head of Portsmouth City Council said, ”Earlier this year the Council passed its greenest ever budget and remains passionate about making our city a greener, safer and cleaner place to live. This is not without its challenges, but we are very happy to discuss all ideas with those groups who share our passion, and wherever practically possible, to work with them to put them into practice.” Facebook @PompeyStreetSpace

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