Costco traffic in Southampton leaves residents considering moving house

‘I’d move tomorrow if I could, I’ve just completely had enough,’ are the words of one Southampton man.

People living along Regents Park Road near Costco say shoppers and drivers seeking cheaper petrol leave their street “jam packed" and that "they can’t get in or out due to traffic from Costco".

The budget warehouse offers petrol and food at low prices for its members.

But the traffic has got so bad some people living in the area are even considering moving away. 

Andrew Tinbrell says that sometimes traffic is so terrible that it tails back onto Millbrook Road West.

The 65-year-old said: “To me it’s been since the petrol station has opened, it’s peak time - basically things have gotten a lot busier.”

Andrew Tinbrell, 65 (Image: Andrew Tinbrell, 65)

A resident of Regents Park Road for 28 years, he said his wife has been shouted at by motorists.

He added: “When she’s trying to get back home and driving in, some drivers don’t give way and it’s just terrible because of the traffic built up.”

Janet Field, 52, a resident of 19 years, said: “It has come to the point where we don’t want to get out of the house because it’s so bad.

“Trying to go down the roads is a nightmare, it’s always gridlocked all the time.”

Stark Jason said: “A lot of the time, over the weekend, it’s not even worth leaving the house because it’s so bad, nobody wants to let you out.

“We’ve been up to see the people at Costco and they said they’re not aware of the problem, and I’m like, ‘really?’

“For my son Josh, it took him 20 minutes to get off our driveaway to go to work, it’s that bad. It’s horrendous."

Stark Jason, 50 (Image: Stark Jason, 50.)

The 50-year-old who has lived on Regents Park Road for 14 years added: “I want to move, some of my neighbours have also wanted to move because they’ve had enough and so have we.

“It’s really frustrating.

“It is very disappointing; I’d move tomorrow if I could, I’ve just completely had enough.”

Sue Smith complained that drivers can get quite angry when residents are leaving their homes and “some of them don’t like to give way”.

The 67-year-old said: “When I see them mount the pavement, I feel terrified that a child will come around the corner one day and it only takes one.

“When the fuel price went up it really got that much busier and with that, there have been a lot more people rushing in. It’s not just weekends, what we find is that weekends are the busiest but it’s not just weekends at all.

"Middle of the week, end of the week doesn’t make a lot of difference, it’s constantly busy. After about 11am on a weekend, it’s pretty much gridlocked for the most part."

The Daily Echo has contacted Costco for comment and is yet to receive a response.

The council said it is investigating how traffic management can be improved.