CAMPAIGN VICTORY: 3 Years Later, Southampton Labour's Disastrous Portswood Bus Gate Is Gone!

 

Councillor Eamonn Keogh SACKED From the Cabinet

 

 ... just two months after the Cabinet Member for Transport Captain Road-Chaos Councillor Eamonn Keogh had been sacked from the Cabinet, amid comments that he was proud of his record, with Keogh saying he was:

"very proud of the improvements that the transforming cities grant has brought to the city".

In a letter published in the Daily Echo in February 205, campaigner and former Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope called for Keogh to be sacked from the Cabinet by the former Labour Leader of the Council Lorna Fielker. She refused to. She lacked the authority, it seemed.

Former Council Leader Councillor Lorna Fielker

Keogh was allowed to go ahead with the scheme by Fielker, despite the huge outcry against it. So the call for his removal was necessary. 

Shortly after Pope's call in February 2025 for the sacking of Keogh, suddenly and shockingly, the previously weak Conservative Council opposition developed a backbone and called for Keogh to resign. This did not happen, either. 

It took another failed Labour Leader of the Council to go (Fielker), before it was finally confirmed by the Daily Echo this week that the Portswood Bus Gate "would not return". Previously, the Council had only announced that the "trial" had been "suspended". Keogh had tried to cling onto his Cabinet role, amid the suspension.

This is a victory for local residents, for Southampton Independents and for Andrew Pope, who joined residents and businesses in the campaign against the Portswood scheme in 2022 and encouraged people to sign the petition against the proposals in 2023.

Fresh from his twelve-year campaign victory getting a Park and Ride for Southampton, and seven-year win on safe standing at St Mary's Stadium, Andrew says:

 

Andrew Pope victorious in the Safe Standing campaign
Park and Ride and now the Portswood Bus Gate

 

"I always said that this Portswood Broadway was a stupid idea that should never have been done. 

Eamonn Keogh claimed to have listened to residents and businesses. He did not and carried on regardless. 

We had to work together to make him listen. He simply had to go if he did not.

Working with residents, and having contacted the residents groups, I spent my own time, campaign know-how and money on printing letters as a volunteer campaigner and carefully listening to Portswood residents and businesses.

The Daily Echo reported on my work, and the work of other campaigners. Thanks to all of them, we've won!

I put out a lot of letters and spent a lot of time on people's doorsteps as a volunteer in our City. Why?

Because the vast majority of local people did not want this. The consequences of the scheme were clear, yet Southampton Labour councillors went ahead with it anyway. 

It should not have taken THREE YEARS to stop this. Labour should never have done it in the first place.

Now there are lots of other stupid transport ideas that Eamonn Keogh carried out in our City, that Labour have to undo if they are to keep their Council seats at next year's local elections. Road chaos has to stop. 

Labour is already very unpopular in the national Government. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer is spending more and more time on foreign policy, which is what failing leaders have done throughout history. 

What matters is delivery for Southampton residents, and Labour have failed us - nationally in Government and locally in the Council.

Now, even Labour's own councillors are leaving the sinking Southampton Labour ship and running away to other Westminster parties. 

Do any of the current Southampton City councillors have the talent or conscience to be Independent councillors who represent Southampton residents instead of their failing Labour Party? We will see. Southampton people need proper independent representation for each ward of our City.

Like I said when I left Labour over ten years ago, it's time for Labour to be removed from power at Southampton City Council, because they lack the vision and leadership that our City needs. The evidence of that is impossible to ignore. They've had their chance, over ten years of power, and they've blown it."

 

Former Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope

We Listened to Portswood Residents Who Saw The Portswood Broadway Disaster Coming and Acted to Oppose It

 

Southampton Independents Letter in Daily Echo 13th February 2025

Labour pretended to listen, ... then Labour's Councillor Eamonn Keogh went ahead with it anyway!

Councillor Eamonn Keogh
Photo: Southampton City Council

Captain of chaos Councillor Keogh needs to go, Southampton people say. The Leader of the Council should sack him, we say.

The full text of Andrew Pope's letter that was printed in yesterday's Daily Echo is below.

We asked for people to stand up in 2022 and in 2023. as reported by the Echo then and in the letters we printed and volunteered to deliver. We contacted the residents associations, and businesses, too.

Portswood people need to stand for Council as Independent candidates, because the political parties let you down - Labour, Green, Tory, Lib Dem - they all put themselves first,  instead of the people of Southampton.

Once again, we will be looking for those people to stand in next year's Southampton City Council elections. And we need people to help contact residents in Portswood.

Get in touch if you want to do it. We will give you advice and support.

 

Former Independent Councillor Andrew Pope

"Disturbed but not surprised

I am disturbed, but not surprised to hear of the unfolding disaster at the Council's Portswood Broadway changes.

It was foreseen by residents and businesses that I spoke to back in 2022 and 2023, and reported by the Echo.

The Council has already tried to paper over the cracks and the out-of-control Cabinet Member for Transport, Labour Councillor Eamonn Keogh, is deaf to the dangers.

Keogh has already caused chaos across Shirley and in the City Centre, making promises to remove 20mph signs, but they are still there.

Keogh needs to be removed from his position by the Leader of the Council Councillor Lorna Fielker, but the talent pool within the Labour Group is very limited, if not non-existent.

The bankruptcy of the Council and crackpot policies in the City prove Labour's inadequacy.

Labour already lost one Portswood seat on the Council after our campaign with Portswood residents against their crazy proposals.

Labour lost the by-election in Shirley too, with residents unhappy about transport policies. I know because I listened to them on their doorsteps.

Do Labour want to lose more Council seats because of their greenie fanatics and ignorance of the vast majority of residents and businesses in the area?

If they do, they are going the right way about it.

Andrew Pope
Southampton Independents"

Labour Goes Ahead with Portswood Broadway Disaster - Despite Massive Resident and Business Opposition

 

Listening to Southampton residents

The Labour-run City Council is ploughing ahead with its disastrous Portswood Broadway plan, despite massive resident and business opposition. 

Back in 2022, former Southampton Independents City councillor Andrew Pope listened to residents and businesses, after speaking to them on their doorsteps and in their shops.

And it is proving to be the disaster that was feared. Bluestar, the bus company, has supported the bus gate.

The Daily Echo is reporting:

"A Southampton mum has told of the terrifying moments her five-month-old baby was nearly crushed by a driver who mounted the pavement on the way to school."

During the "trial" (read: fait accomplit), drivers would not be fined, say the Council, who are in denial about the safety of it all:

"Drivers who ignore a newly implemented bus gate will not be hit with a fine, the council has confirmed."

The knock-on effects that worried residents and businesses, and were foreseen, are happening.

And then the Council has changed its mind already. The Council's warning is in full below*:

"Drivers who ignore a controversial road closure will be fined from next week – two weeks after the scheme was introduced."

Andrew says: 

Former Councillor Andrew Pope at the Civic Centre

"The Council has already u-turned and the out-of-control Cabinet Member for Transport, Labour Councillor Eamonn Keogh, is deaf to the dangers.

Keogh has already caused chaos across Shirley and in the City Centre, making promises to remove 20mph signs, but they are still there.

Keogh needs to be removed from his position by the Leader of the Council Councillor Lorna Fielker, but the talent pool within the Labour Group is very limited, if not non-existent.

The bankruptcy of the Council and crackpot policies in the City prove Labour's inadequacy.

Labour already lost one seat on the Council after our campaign with Portswood residents against their crazy proposals.

Labour lost the by-election in Shirley too, with residents unhappy about transport policies. I know because I listened to them on their doorsteps.

Do Labour want to lose more Council seats because of their greenie fanatics and ignorance of the vast majority of residents and businesses in the area?

If they do, they are going the right way about it."

*Southampton City Council:

" Camera enforcement of the bus/taxi/cycle only section on Portswood Road will begin on Monday 10 February 2025 📢
While the restriction is in operation only authorised vehicles are allowed, including:
Buses 🚌
Taxis 🚕
Cyclists, legal E-scooters and E-bikes 🚴‍♂️
Emergency vehicles 🚑
Any other service vehicle carrying out a statutory duty e.g. gritting, refuse collection 🚛
Other vehicles that drive through the restriction will receive a Warning Notice, and on their second contravention they will receive a Penalty Charge Notice 🚗
Warning Letters and PCN’s will be sent through the post to the Registered Keeper of the vehicle.  To allow enough time between a Warning Notice being processed and received by the driver, there will be period of approximately two weeks after a Warning Notice being sent and a PCN being issued"

After Shirley and City Centre Chaos, ANOTHER Crazy Labour Council Road Scheme To Go Ahead - at Portswood Broadway

 

ANOTHER Crazy Highway Scheme By Labour

After the chaos caused by Labour's 20mph signs on Hill Lane and Shirley Road, and months of disruption in the City Centre for no benefit to residents, Labour's cycling fanatic Councillor Eamonn Keogh is pushing ahead with another crazy road scheme as Labour's Cabinet Member for Transport.

This time it's the hated Portswood Broadway scheme, going ahead for "a trial" in 2025.

And just like in Shirley, Keogh is going ahead with it against common sense and despite huge resistance and objections from local residents. More sham consultations mean residents are ignored.

Southampton Independents' Andrew Pope spent his own time as a concerned volunteer to properly listen to Portswood and Highfield residents, and told the Daily Echo what he had found - that the vast majority of residents were against this scheme. He also contacted local residents' associations and encouraged petitions against the proposals to be signed, and encouraged residents to stand for Council.

Via hundreds of leaflets and letters and doorstep conversations with residents and businesses, Andrew found that there was huge dissatisfaction with Keogh's chaotic plans. Andrew says:

Andrew Pope, speaking when a councillor
to BBC South Today

"After my campaign to expose Labour's mistakes on the Broadway scheme, Labour lost one of their Portswood Council seats to the Greens. It seems Labour want to lose more seats in this area, because they are not listening to local residents.

Labour's Transport Councillor Eamonn Keogh seems hell-bent on ruining any productivity on our roads, and his cycling fanaticism is ruining the journeys of the 89% of people who use the car or walk in our City. Cycling and buses should be encouraged but both are a tiny percentage of journeys in our City.

Cllr Keogh shouldn't be experimenting again in our City, as his previous experiments in Shirley on Hill Lane and Shirley Road, and in the City Centre, have both failed, and wasted a huge amount of public money - when the Council is broke. It was obvious that the experiments would not work, but the Labour Council went ahead anyway.

It's time the Leader of the Council Councillor Lorna Fielker removed him from his Transport role, for the sake of our City, the Council's finances, and City businesses and residents."

UPDATE (9/1/23): PETITION AGAINST LABOUR-RUN COUNCIL'S CRAZY PROPOSALS ON PORTSWOOD HIGH STREET (BROADWAY)

One of our emblems

UPDATE (9/1/23)

Our Andrew Pope appears in the Daily Echo. We said that we would listen to residents and act on their concerns. The full article appears below (without the image used by the Daily Echo):

 

Former Councillor Andrew Pope
on BBC South Today

 

"‘Are you prepared to stand for council in May?’

This is the question being asked by Southampton Independents, a campaign group run by ex-independent councillor, Andrew Pope.

In his letter, which was hand-delivered to households in the city, Mr Pope called on people to ‘act’, in response to what he calls a ‘crazy’ road scheme in Portswood.

The letter reads: “Is enough enough? Will you act? Are you prepared to stand for council in May? Southampton needs Independent councillors. Will you join residents to stand up?”

Southampton City Council’s Portswood Broadway plans have attracted huge interest over the last three months, including petitions, council representations and media coverage.

Southampton Independents, who signed the now closed ‘SAY NO’ petition, claim that the petition’s 821 signatures only represented part of the total number of those who disagree with the plans.

Mr Pope said: “Southampton Independents have listened to residents and businesses. Their concerns must be listened to and the Council’s proposals for Portswood Broadway by the Labour-run Council must be abandoned.

“Because the vast majority of residents are opposed to the plans to close off part of the main road, causing chaos in the area, Southampton Independents

have listened and acted. We have signed the e-petition on the Council website.

“We have expressed the concerns of residents to councillors that you had to ‘sign up’ on the website first and that this put people off signing. Despite this

barrier, 821 people signed it before it closed on December 31.”

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for transport and district regeneration, said that the recent public consultation will ‘ultimately help shape’ the Portswood Corridor scheme.

He said: “As a council, we want to work with all interested parties to agree a scheme that can be supported and progressed.

“We are currently compiling a report which includes the results of the public consultation. The report, which will be made available in February, will outline key concerns and areas of support raised by the public and will include an officer recommendation on how to address these concerns.”

---

Southampton Independents have listened to residents and businesses. Their concerns must be listened to and the Council's proposals for Portswood Broadway by the Labour-run Council and Labour Councilor Eamonn Keogh, must be abandoned.

 

We have signed the petition on the Council's e-Petition site.

 

We recommend that you also sign the petition. You only have to register a name and email address. So far, there are 812 signatures. 

 

Another e-petition in support of these damaging proposals for residents and businesses has achieved only one quarter of the number.

 

The petition against the proposals reads:

 

"We the undersigned petition the council to abandon the current proposal to close part of Portswood Broadway to through traffic.

The limited benefits of the proposed scheme will be far outweighed by significant and unacceptable adverse impact to local businesses and residential neighbourhoods which includes 3 Conservation Areas. There is already a traffic problem in the surrounding areas without potentially another 12,000 cars a day adding to the congestion and pollution. We all want a greener environment but shifting one problem and creating another i.e. traffic from an A road (a major road intended to provide large scale transport links within or between areas) to a residential area is NOT the answer."

Contact us to tell us what you think about these proposals and why the Labour-run is hammering motorists across the City.

Southampton Communities Say "Vote Andrew Pope Southampton Independents"

Southampton Independents is in the community.

Denise Wyatt
Southampton Independents Community Campaigner

Southampton Independents is from the community.

Southampton Independents work with the community.

That's why Southampton residents from Redbridge, Shirley, Millbrook, Portswood, Bevois, Freemantle and Coxford are saying:

"Vote 

Andrew Pope 

Southampton Independents"

Andrew Pope

Our Party Emblem

Clare from Coxford says: "If you want an MP that gets things done, vote for Andrew Pope to be the next MP for Southampton Test".

Clare from Coxford

Clare at Five Acres (a.k.a. Lordshill Rec or Lordshill Outdoor Recreation Ground).
Andrew has gained extra protection from development
by working with local residents

Steve from Redbridge says: "Andrew Pope listens to Southampton residents. He works for residents and with residents on the things that matter to them - not what Labour or Tories dictate from London."

Steve from Redbridge

Clare and Steve say:

"Vote 

Andrew Pope 

Southampton Independents!"

Southampton residents say:

"Vote 

Andrew Pope 

Southampton Independents!"

Look for the Southampton Independents Party Emblem on the ballot paper when you vote.

Southampton Independents
Party Emblem