A senior councillor has criticised Southampton City Council after a traffic light failure caused major disruption, saying the authority has not got its priorities right.

Councillor Jeremy Moulton says the council are responsible for disruption caused by traffic lights failing at the Civic Centre junction, saying the Labour administration scrapped a scheme to replace them.

But the transport supremo for the council, Eamonn Keogh, has hit back, saying it was necessary because of the actions of the Conservatives while they held control of the council.

Over the past month, the traffic lights on Civic Centre Road at the busy junction with Havelock Road and Portland Terrace have been turned off.

The authority has explained that permanent repairs were scheduled to take place but have so far not been possible due to challenges securing unique parts which are no longer made.

But Conservative Cllr Jeremy Moulton says the Civic Centre junction was due to have traffic light upgrades under the Transforming Cities Fund – put in place by the Conservative government in 2017.

This money was subsequently used to redevelop the Devonshire Road junction – as part of the council's Ring Road development scheme.

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The councillor said drivers are paying the price that the council has not gone ahead with the upgrades.

Conservative councillor, Jeremy MoultonConservative councillor, Jeremy Moulton (Image: NQ) He added: "New traffic lights at the Civic Centre junction were originally funded by the last government through its Transforming Cities Fund, but the council scrapped the planned upgrades, to save money and instead wasted millions prioritising shutting off Devonshire Road.

“Had the council got its priorities right, we wouldn't now face weeks of temporary lights.

“Fortunately the last government also provided the council with a further half a million pounds for traffic light upgrades, so they will be able to use this to sort out the junction."

In March the council was given £582,312.50 from the Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant to upgrade traffic signal systems, replacing unreliable and obsolete equipment to improve reliability.

In response to the claims made by Cllr Moulton, Councillor Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Transport said: "In 2021 the Conservative administration at SSC during that time made changes to the Transforming Cities programme, but these were rejected by the DfT and put at risk tens of millions of investment for the city. 

"When Labour won back the city in 2022, we worked with the DfT to ensure this funding was not lost to the city and the programme could continue. 

"However, this delay did mean that some aspects of the programme had to be cut such as the Civic Centre Junction upgrade because of cost increase and inflationary pressures. 

"Labour was able to secure additional funding in 2024 to upgrade the traffic signals at the Civic Centre which are now planned for early November.”