Soton ban
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WITHIN six months Southampton will introduce a total street parking ban for goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
The City Council has just voted to confine lorries to specified parking areas, and a spokesman told CM that it is considering "some form of overall control" for lorries at night, but is only in the consultation stage at present.
Southampton transport committee chairman Dave Bull said that a parking ban was in the Labour Party's manifesto when it won control of the council last May. There had been almost total agreement from all parties, residents' associations and the freight lobby to the parking ban, he said.
The ban will operate from 7.30pm until 6.30am and all day Sunday. Mr Bull said that there is "plenty of space" in lorry parks.
A separate scheme now being considered is for a total ban on lorries in the city, apart from the M271 and the Western Approach, the docks, commercial centres and the southern part of the city centre.
Southampton wanted to see control as "a long-term aim" and was prepared to work slowly, and compromise with the industry to find agreement, said Mr Bull.
Freight Transport Association South-Eastern controller John Guttridge told CM that a total ban will achieve nothing for Southampton.