Southampton City Council is taking the next step in bringing forward a wide range of changes to parking arrangements in and around its district centres after listening to feedback from residents, businesses and visitors about measures introduced last year.

The proposed changes are designed to make it easier for people to visit local shops and services for longer, improve access to short-stay parking spaces, and support safer, more accessible streets for everyone. The next stage of this process is to formally consult on the proposals through a Traffic Regulation Order.

Since new parking tariffs were introduced in District Centre car parks in April 2025, the council has continued to monitor their impact and gather feedback from the community. In response, it is proposing a broad range of changes to address the concerns raised, including:

• Extending the maximum stay in Commercial Street, Woodley Road North and Woodley Road South car parks from the current limit to up to four hours, giving people more flexibility when shopping, attending appointments or visiting local businesses.
• Changing on-street parking in and around district centres to help ensure spaces are available for more people throughout the day. Limited waiting bays would be standardised to a maximum stay of 30 minutes between 8am and 6pm, seven days a week, allowing more visitors to access pop in, pop out parking close to local amenities.
• Outside Bitterne Station, parking would be limited to a maximum stay of four hours between 8am and 6pm, helping discourage vehicles from being left for extended periods and ensuring spaces remain available for those who need them.
• New waiting restrictions in some locations to improve access for deliveries, support traffic flow and create a safer environment for people walking, wheeling or cycling.
• To improve accessibility, the council is proposing a new disabled parking bay outside Holy Saviour’s Church on Bursledon Road, making it easier for Blue Badge holders to access local facilities and services.
• On Brownlow Avenue, new waiting restrictions are proposed during busier periods to help improve visibility and safety for pupils, parents and other road users near the school.
• The council is also proposing to formally designate the Woolston Lorry Park, currently known as Woolston District Centre Car Park, located under the Itchen Bridge, as a dedicated facility for heavy goods vehicles.
• Removing Peartree Gardens Car Park from the Suburban Off Street Parking Places Order. This will give options for potential alternative management proposals following the February announcement to reintroduce an element of free parking to Bitterne District Centre which is currently being worked on. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, this would only be implemented if it was needed to deliver a specific proposal.

Local people across Southampton are encouraged to visit our Connecting Southampton website to see the full detail of the proposed changes and to have their say.

Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

“We understand how important convenient parking is for people visiting local shops, services and businesses, and we have listened carefully to the feedback we’ve received from residents and traders.

“We’re continuing to monitor the impact of the new tariffs in the District Centres, and are proposing these changes to make better use of available parking, improve access to short-stay spaces and support safer, more accessible streets. We’re also responding directly to requests from the community by proposing longer stays in Commercial Street and the Woodley Road car parks, giving people greater flexibility when spending time in our district centres.

“Officers are also continuing to examine options for alternative management practices for Peartree Gardens to support access to the local supermarket and shops as is available in the other District Centres.

“By balancing the needs of residents, businesses, visitors and road users, we aim to help our local centres remain vibrant, welcoming places for everyone.”