Unadopted Southampton road set to be improved with £10k work

Deputy leader of the authority, Cllr Jeremy Moulton, told the Echo that work will be taking place to fix a cutway that runs off of Portswood Road.

The route, which runs behind homes and businesses, is in an "appalling" state according to the councillor who said safety works will now be taking place there in the next month.

Running for the length of about 40 properties, the road is unadopted, meaning it is not owned by the council, and instead, it is owned by the residents and businesses that run along it. 

Cllr Moulton said though: "It has been in an appalling state for many years. We have been lobbied by Mencap to say can you help us.

"It smells, stale water, deep mud. People have to wade through that.

"Because we don't have a policy for unadopted roads we can't do much. But what I did manage to get done is immediate safety works."

Now fly-tipped rubbish is due to be cleared and stones are going to be put down to help water drain away.

READ MORE: Unadopted road plans in Southampton ‘smacks in the face’ of residents

The charity, Mencap, which works to raise awareness of the rights of children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, uses the road as an access point.

A spokesperson for the charity said they "welcome any changes which would meaningfully improve the condition of the lane".

"Over several decades our service users and staff members have contended with poor lighting, flooding, fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour and potholes when accessing the Mencap Centre.

"It is a fundamental right for people with a learning disability to access services safely and securely and we will continue to campaign until those rights are a reality."

Portswood ward Cllr, John Savage added: “This is a road that’s used a lot by residents and businesses alike, and it’s become a public health hazard which is why I’ve been working with the community to get a solution to the problem.”

The work is only a temporary measure and is expected to last around eight months to a year.

But now calls have been made for a policy to deal with unadopted roads.

Cllr Darren Paffey, deputy leader of the Labour group said: “These improvements are clearly needed to keep the public safe, but it doesn’t solve the bigger problem that those responsible for unadopted roads are neglecting them, and leaving the taxpayer to pick up the bill.

"We need a clear and fair policy to deal with this, not just the Conservative cabinet’s pick-and-choose approach.”

It comes as the council has said it will work on a policy in future for improving unadopted roads in the city.