Mona Lisa wrote:
The people of Southampton! Who is NOT HAPPY?! Surely not has Gordon Brown moved here, talking for the people as he knows them so well!

Great news just not so sure the road system can handle it, shame it's not out of town.

Oh but who's fault is that, it can't be built there can it Gordon!!!!!

NOT HAPPY wrote:
THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHAMPTON DO NOT WANT THIS IN OUR CITY THERE IS TOO MUCH CONGESTION IN SOUTHAMPTON AS IT IS WITHOUT THE MASSES FLOCKING IN IN THEIR 4 X 4S THIS CITY NEEDS THE WOW FACTOR LIKE AN ice rink

NOT HAPPY wrote:

Mona Lisa wrote: The people of Southampton! Who is NOT HAPPY?! Surely not has Gordon Brown moved here, talking for the people as he knows them so well! Great news just not so sure the road system can handle it, shame it's not out of town. Oh but who's fault is that, it can't be built there can it Gordon!!!!!

IM GLAD YOUR ON OUR SIDE HOW CAN WE FIGHT THESE BEASTS

Adrian Smith wrote:
"It will create 500 jobs for the local economy".

Shouldn't that read "The store will employ 500 people"?

NOT HAPPY wrote:
THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHAMPTON DO NOT WANT THIS IN OUR CITY THERE IS TOO MUCH CONGESTION IN SOUTHAMPTON AS IT IS WITHOUT THE MASSES FLOCKING IN IN THEIR 4 X 4S THIS CITY NEEDS THE WOW FACTOR LIKE AN ice rink

toxteth o'grady wrote:

NOT HAPPY wrote: THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHAMPTON DO NOT WANT THIS IN OUR CITY THERE IS TOO MUCH CONGESTION IN SOUTHAMPTON AS IT IS WITHOUT THE MASSES FLOCKING IN IN THEIR 4 X 4S THIS CITY NEEDS THE WOW FACTOR LIKE AN ice rink

Gosport has an Ice Rink but I dont think Gosport has a wow factor do you ?????

Emma Lewis wrote:
At long bl*ody last!!!! This will be fantastic news for the city. I am sick of making a 3hr round trip to Bristol so it will be fab to be able to just nip into town. It will also bring more people into the city centre so retailers should win all round! :O)

Nothing changes wrote:

Emma Lewis wrote: At long bl*ody last!!!! This will be fantastic news for the city. I am sick of making a 3hr round trip to Bristol so it will be fab to be able to just nip into town. It will also bring more people into the city centre so retailers should win all round! :O)

All those people will be stuck in traffic and will get p!ssed off, turn round and go elsewhere so Southampton is going to lose long term. But people are so focussed on the fact they don't have to travel 3 hours to get their precious furniture they're not thinking clearly! IKEA is just hype, it *is* MFI with a different name but people believe the hype and think it's amazing. Tbh if you want tacky, cheap looking furniture in your house then that's your choice!

Roger wrote:
I find it amusing that Hammerson, the owners of West Quay, withdrew their objection to the development after IKEA signed a deal to construct a walkway between the two. What happened to the objection because of too much traffic? They obviously meant too much traffic away from them!

Flatpack wrote:

NOT HAPPY wrote: THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHAMPTON DO NOT WANT THIS IN OUR CITY THERE IS TOO MUCH CONGESTION IN SOUTHAMPTON AS IT IS WITHOUT THE MASSES FLOCKING IN IN THEIR 4 X 4S THIS CITY NEEDS THE WOW FACTOR LIKE AN ice rink

Why does every story have to get hijacked by those boring, stuck-records bleating on about bloody ice-rinks? You are in the minority; we don\'t want an ice-rink, we don\'t need an ice-rink and we don\'t want to hear you harping on about bloody ice-rinks all the time. Get the message? If it was a popular choice, and if it was commercially viable, we would have one. It\'s not, it isn\'t, live with it. Anyhoo...I\'m sure there are reasons why Ikea isn\'t being built out of town. A previous poster mentioned about planning regs. meant that it had to be centrally located. Not sure. The wife will be pleased with Ikea being built, but I\'m yet to be convinced about the parking and congestion issue. I have heard plausible arguments about Ikea being open late, 7 days a week etc, in the hope that shoppers won\'t all flock on a Saturday morning, but there\'s nowt as queer as folk, and I bet they turn up in their droves. Likewise, the calls for park & drive (sensible idea, but where do you put it) and suggestions that the store is centrally located so that shoppers from far afield can catch the train, are impractical, unless you\'re just buying meatballs and not a flat-pack kitchen. I\'m pleased Ikea is coming; boost for the local economy and profile. Am happy to reserve judgement on the traffic until it\'s built. Surely the planners and Ikea have taken this into consideration. Here\'s hoping...

Nothing changes wrote:
"You haven't been to a Ikea have you. Its cheap... certainly not tacky. Have a look. You'll be amazed." Yeah I have actually! It's ok, nothing special though. It's mad, it's like IKEA is a religion or cult or something. If peoples lives are so empty this is the highlight of it then fair play to you. Once IKEA is more widespread in the UK and becomes the norm like MFI or B&Q then things will change. But you do realise you can get the same 'level' of furniture from places already in Southampton or nearby.

Actually.. i don't think you can.

Why else do you think the majority of people have stated that Ikea is a good thing for Southampton?

Ian wrote:
Well, well, this has got to be the most ludicrous decision this council have made since the siting of the new football stadium. Goodbye any chance of getting anywhere in the city on a Saturday, especially if the football is on. We should be trying to reduce the amount of traffic in the city - not increasing it. All we'll get now is a non moving stream of 4x4s and vans on roads that are barely able to manage the current levels of traffic. That coupled with a riduclously underpriced car park for west quay means that everyone in Southampton, and the surrounding country, can come and spend a day in the city making life miserable for the residents - why not that would be fun! Totally insane

Adrian Smith wrote:
\\\"It will create 500 jobs for the local economy\\\". Shouldn\\\'t that read \\\"The store will employ 500 people\\\"?

Micheal West wrote:
Great! another eye-sore in Southampton, or should that be i(kea)sore. And 500 mcjobs to go with it, Can't wait.

Daz wrote:
Absolutely absurb ! What a crazy decision one moment the council are trying to stop people from using thier vehicle in the town centre the next minute a flat pack haven that needs larger vehicles to get the purchases home! I suppose they want to get all excited about the fact they have "created" 500 jobs ? 500 minimum wage jobs which will probably attrach even more eastern european labour into the already densely over populated area. I also understand that Ikea have to put in another lane exiting from the site ? Um, how ? where ? Are they going to get rid of (a) the central reservation which may give enough room for half a lane ? or (b) get rid of the service road to West Quay Industrial estate ? This city is already at almost gridlock during the weekends and many other week during the year. The amazing thing is that this is still technically an "out of town" development. If you take a look at the local plan in the civic, i believe that the "town centre" falls short of the Pirelli site, thus more proof that this could have been sited at Millbrook!. IMHO this seems like another short sighted desicion by SS councilors full of self importance and desperate to have thier names in the history book of the "councillors that changed the look of Southampton". Maybe thier next move will be to put a tesco express in the middle of the common !!!

Paul Redknapp-French wrote:
Brilliant news. I will start with 5 plates of meatballs, then build up over time to perhaps 6 or 7. I am so happy!!!

John Westwood smells wrote:

Paul Redknapp-French wrote:
Brilliant news. I will start with 5 plates of meatballs, then build up
over time to perhaps 6 or 7. I am so happy!!!

Go and shop at
The Tricorn! At least in The Championship we don't have to put up with
you low life pikey chavs trashing our city each year

Banker wrote:
Brilliant. Goodbye, last remaining hopes of ever being able to drive through Southampton, or find a parking space. Time to relocate, methinks

A Reader wrote:

Banker wrote:
Brilliant. Goodbye, last remaining hopes of ever being able to drive
through Southampton, or find a parking space. Time to relocate,
methinks

Get the bus. Get the train. Why do you all have to
drive through Southampton?
Can't you lazy gits drive around Southampton instead?

mo wrote:
Lets see how the Ikea shoppers enjoy it when *they* are the ones who are stuck trying to come out of the junction for ages and also stuck for ages on the way home. In town there are already soem fairly long waits to get onto Millbrook/West Quay road at certain points (especially the one into the retail aprt/mcdonalds) so I can only imagine this will make it miels worse.

Jenny wrote:
An Ikea in Southampton is great news, now how's about an Ice Rink?

shopper wrote:

Flatpack wrote:

NOT HAPPY wrote: THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHAMPTON DO NOT WANT THIS IN OUR CITY THERE IS TOO MUCH CONGESTION IN SOUTHAMPTON AS IT IS WITHOUT THE MASSES FLOCKING IN IN THEIR 4 X 4S THIS CITY NEEDS THE WOW FACTOR LIKE AN ice rink

Why does every story have to get hijacked by those boring, stuck-records bleating on about bloody ice-rinks? You are in the minority; we don\'t want an ice-rink, we don\'t need an ice-rink and we don\'t want to hear you harping on about bloody ice-rinks all the time. Get the message? If it was a popular choice, and if it was commercially viable, we would have one. It\'s not, it isn\'t, live with it. Anyhoo...I\'m sure there are reasons why Ikea isn\'t being built out of town. A previous poster mentioned about planning regs. meant that it had to be centrally located. Not sure. The wife will be pleased with Ikea being built, but I\'m yet to be convinced about the parking and congestion issue. I have heard plausible arguments about Ikea being open late, 7 days a week etc, in the hope that shoppers won\'t all flock on a Saturday morning, but there\'s nowt as queer as folk, and I bet they turn up in their droves. Likewise, the calls for park & drive (sensible idea, but where do you put it) and suggestions that the store is centrally located so that shoppers from far afield can catch the train, are impractical, unless you\'re just buying meatballs and not a flat-pack kitchen. I\'m pleased Ikea is coming; boost for the local economy and profile. Am happy to reserve judgement on the traffic until it\'s built. Surely the planners and Ikea have taken this into consideration. Here\'s hoping...

well if the ice rink keeps comming up then the people want one!!!!

A Shopper wrote:

mo wrote: Lets see how the Ikea shoppers enjoy it when *they* are the ones who are stuck trying to come out of the junction for ages and also stuck for ages on the way home. In town there are already soem fairly long waits to get onto Millbrook/West Quay road at certain points (especially the one into the retail aprt/mcdonalds) so I can only imagine this will make it miels worse.

Yes... those times are called \"rush hour\". Will happen everyday, no matter if Ikea is there or not.

Dr Stranglelove wrote:

A Shopper wrote:

mo wrote: Lets see how the Ikea shoppers enjoy it when *they* are the ones who are stuck trying to come out of the junction for ages and also stuck for ages on the way home. In town there are already soem fairly long waits to get onto Millbrook/West Quay road at certain points (especially the one into the retail aprt/mcdonalds) so I can only imagine this will make it miels worse.

Yes... those times are called \\\"rush hour\\\". Will happen everyday, no matter if Ikea is there or not.

\'rush hour\'? all day on a Saturday and Sunday I don\'t think so. Oh but it doesn\'t affect you does it as you live in Romsey.

COYR wrote:
never mind Ikea, what about more strip clubs and brothels?

Duck Man wrote:

COYR wrote: never mind Ikea, what about more strip clubs and brothels?

Fantastic - it's now going to take an hour to get out of West Quay on a good day. Can't wait to buy cheap furniture which falls apart and eat some 99p non-meat meatballs.

mo wrote:
There might not be traffic ALL DAY on Saturday and Sunday but there is for large parts of the day (i.e when most people are trying to go shopping) Secondly, we are a growing city and traffic will get worse but Ikea alone will probably add more traffic when it opens than we would have gotten naturally over a very large number of years. The sudden inflxu of peopel from Outside of the city (yes, peopel from Pompey!) will bring the roads to a grinding halt in some parts of town.

John wrote:

Adrian Smith wrote:
"It will create 500 jobs for the local economy".

Shouldn't that read "The store will employ 500 people"?

What it means is that it will create 500 unskilled, part-time, minimum wage jobs for the Eastern European economy.

A Shopper wrote:

Dr Stranglelove wrote:

A Shopper wrote:

mo wrote: Lets see how the Ikea shoppers enjoy it when *they* are the ones who are stuck trying to come out of the junction for ages and also stuck for ages on the way home. In town there are already soem fairly long waits to get onto Millbrook/West Quay road at certain points (especially the one into the retail aprt/mcdonalds) so I can only imagine this will make it miels worse.

Yes... those times are called \\\"rush hour\\\". Will happen everyday, no matter if Ikea is there or not.

\'rush hour\'? all day on a Saturday and Sunday I don\'t think so. Oh but it doesn\'t affect you does it as you live in Romsey.

ALL day on a Saturday and ALL day Sunday? Really? ALL day? And yes it does affect me... i actually prefer shopping in Southampton than portsmouth, salisbury or bournemouth! But i've yet to encounter gridlock roads ALL day on Saturday and ALL day on Sundays.

Gaz wrote:
Great news about IKEA !!!! NOW lets have a PARK & RIDE and Bus Station. If winchester (P&R/ Bus station) & Eastleigh (Bus Station) can do it Then Southampton can !! may attract even more shoppers etc with a decent Public transport system and cut city congestion.

jimbo wrote:
The permanent ice rink will happen! The Council are set on it. I can't say I am into skating, having never tried, but I am sure it will have some nice cafes with some nice views and decent family safe social opportunities. Much needed in this city.

Top wrote:

Gaz wrote:
Great news about IKEA !!!! NOW lets have a PARK & RIDE and Bus Station. If winchester (P&R/ Bus station) & Eastleigh (Bus Station) can do it Then Southampton can !! may attract even more shoppers etc with a decent Public transport system and cut city congestion.

Well said that man.

Ricardo wrote:

Top wrote:

Gaz wrote: Great news about IKEA !!!! NOW lets have a PARK & RIDE and Bus Station. If winchester (P&R/ Bus station) & Eastleigh (Bus Station) can do it Then Southampton can !! may attract even more shoppers etc with a decent Public transport system and cut city congestion.

Well said that man.

The way people keep carping on, you'd think Southampton was completely bereft of public transport! In fact, bus services are being cut back mainly becuase people a)dont use them, b) free pensioner travel is making the services unprofitable, and c) the council wont stump up the cash. Perhaps if people used these services themselves, instead of expecting others to do so, things might get better! Besides, how are ikea shoppers, laden with heavy flat pack furniture, expected to use the bus to get their wardrobe home?!? Re Park and Ride, forget bus-based park and ride, think park and rail. Use car park capacity at Southampton Airport Parkway (car parks, which are going to be expanded soon anyway, will be less-utilised at weekends when there are few commuters). One 5 minute train journey later and hey presto, you're at west quay. Going home, 5 minutes later and hey presto, you re at the car, ready to hit the M27! And all this using existing resources!

Carp wrote:

Ricardo wrote:

Top wrote:

Gaz wrote: Great news about IKEA !!!! NOW lets have a PARK & RIDE and Bus Station. If winchester (P&R/ Bus station) & Eastleigh (Bus Station) can do it Then Southampton can !! may attract even more shoppers etc with a decent Public transport system and cut city congestion.

Well said that man.

The way people keep carping on, you\'d think Southampton was completely bereft of public transport! In fact, bus services are being cut back mainly becuase people a)dont use them, b) free pensioner travel is making the services unprofitable, and c) the council wont stump up the cash. Perhaps if people used these services themselves, instead of expecting others to do so, things might get better! Besides, how are ikea shoppers, laden with heavy flat pack furniture, expected to use the bus to get their wardrobe home?!? Re Park and Ride, forget bus-based park and ride, think park and rail. Use car park capacity at Southampton Airport Parkway (car parks, which are going to be expanded soon anyway, will be less-utilised at weekends when there are few commuters). One 5 minute train journey later and hey presto, you\'re at west quay. Going home, 5 minutes later and hey presto, you re at the car, ready to hit the M27! And all this using existing resources!

You\'re a goddam genius! Hang on, no you\'re not....

1. People don\'t use public transport because it\'s expensive, over-crowded, unreliable, dirty, inconvenient etc.

2. Free pensioner travel isn\'t bankrupting bus companies! Buses aren\'t full up with the blue-rinse brigade such that no-one else can get on them. No-one else is using them anyway (see 1), it\'s just the old-timers using the buses because it\'s free.

How are Ikea shoppers laden with flatpack furniture expected to get the train then?

Regadless, if the public transport improved first, people would use it. It won\'t work the other way round while there is a cheaper, more convenient option i.e. car. People aren\'t going to inconvenience themselves in the vain hope that the council will suddenly notice the increased usage and increase the funding. The council, govt., bus and train companies have to be more proactive.

Park & Ride, Park & Rail - both good ideas. Ikea doesn\'t come into it. It\'s the same argument if I went to John Lewis to buy a TV, or Argos to buy a shelf unit - I\'m going to drive, because it\'s impractical to get it on the bus or train. Park & Ride etc could work for most people on most journeys into Southampton.

Ricardo wrote:

Carp wrote:

Ricardo wrote:

Top wrote:

Gaz wrote: Great news about IKEA !!!! NOW lets have a PARK & RIDE and Bus Station. If winchester (P&R/ Bus station) & Eastleigh (Bus Station) can do it Then Southampton can !! may attract even more shoppers etc with a decent Public transport system and cut city congestion.

Well said that man.

The way people keep carping on, you\'d think Southampton was completely bereft of public transport! In fact, bus services are being cut back mainly becuase people a)dont use them, b) free pensioner travel is making the services unprofitable, and c) the council wont stump up the cash. Perhaps if people used these services themselves, instead of expecting others to do so, things might get better! Besides, how are ikea shoppers, laden with heavy flat pack furniture, expected to use the bus to get their wardrobe home?!? Re Park and Ride, forget bus-based park and ride, think park and rail. Use car park capacity at Southampton Airport Parkway (car parks, which are going to be expanded soon anyway, will be less-utilised at weekends when there are few commuters). One 5 minute train journey later and hey presto, you\'re at west quay. Going home, 5 minutes later and hey presto, you re at the car, ready to hit the M27! And all this using existing resources!

You\'re a goddam genius! Hang on, no you\'re not.... 1. People don\'t use public transport because it\'s expensive, over-crowded, unreliable, dirty, inconvenient etc. 2. Free pensioner travel isn\'t bankrupting bus companies! Buses aren\'t full up with the blue-rinse brigade such that no-one else can get on them. No-one else is using them anyway (see 1), it\'s just the old-timers using the buses because it\'s free. How are Ikea shoppers laden with flatpack furniture expected to get the train then? Regadless, if the public transport improved first, people would use it. It won\'t work the other way round while there is a cheaper, more convenient option i.e. car. People aren\'t going to inconvenience themselves in the vain hope that the council will suddenly notice the increased usage and increase the funding. The council, govt., bus and train companies have to be more proactive. Park & Ride, Park & Rail - both good ideas. Ikea doesn\'t come into it. It\'s the same argument if I went to John Lewis to buy a TV, or Argos to buy a shelf unit - I\'m going to drive, because it\'s impractical to get it on the bus or train. Park & Ride etc could work for most people on most journeys into Southampton.

Some of your points are good. Some of Southampton's bus services are not up to standard, but I point to the Uni-Link network as an example of an award-winning service that already exists. Prices on most other routes are actually not that bad compared to some otehr cities. Additionally I dont see how the local rail network, with the exception of the Portsmouth-Cardiff FGW route, can be described as being inadequate. Re point 2, free pensioner travel IS causing bus companies significant problems. Local authorities are failing to recompense bus operators to "sustainable" levels for free pensioner travel, consequently less profitable/ unprofitable routes are being dropped. Additionally, on some routes, free pensioner travel is creating a squeeze on capacity for fare-paying customers. As far as people with heavy items goes, I wouldnt really expect them to get the train either. Admittedly I didnt make that very clear. However, taht said, a decent regional-type train can carry a decent amount of baggage or other items that you'd struggle to get on a bus.... However what proportion of shoppers on a typical weekend are buying something so huge they cant carry it? Most probably less than 50%, possibly under 25%.....leaving a remaining 50-75% carrying no more than clothes or light goods who could quite easily use PT. As far as park and ride goes, I would suggest park and rail from Southampton Airport because it provides a much better solution that is available immediately, using existing resources that would be under-utilised at weekends and outside the commuter peak. All that would be needed would be marketing, promotion and a limited number of fairly small measures to make a very viable solution, with none of the setup costs, assets or infrastructure needed for a new build bus-based park and ride....

A Shopper wrote:

mo wrote:
There might not be traffic ALL DAY on Saturday and Sunday but there is for large parts of the day (i.e when most people are trying to go shopping) Secondly, we are a growing city and traffic will get worse but Ikea alone will probably add more traffic when it opens than we would have gotten naturally over a very large number of years. The sudden inflxu of peopel from Outside of the city (yes, peopel from Pompey!) will bring the roads to a grinding halt in some parts of town.

Ah.. we\'re getting somewhere now.

You hate people from portsmouth.

Can we have an Ikea if we ban people from portsmouth? Will that make you happy?

Andy wrote:
For nigh on 20 years I've been going up the M3/M25 to get my furniture. All the while I've asked IKEA, when are they coming to Southampton? They've always answered that they really want to, but keep getting turned down. Well at last it's going to be here. No more long trips. Brilliant!

Typical Southampton Resident wrote:
How dare the council give permission for something to be built in Southampton which will attract people to the city!

All these unnecessary car journeys to Ikea by ‘other people’ will cause more traffic which will affect MY car journeys.

As a Southampton resident I have a god given right to drive to the city as and when I chose and not encounter any other traffic what so ever as my journeys are necessary and cannot be made by any other means of transport as it would just not be practical.

The council should only give permission for developments in Southampton that attract no-one or better still, repel people from the city. Then I can drive my car in and around the city all day long and never encounter any traffic what so ever.

Despite the fact that the majority of the car-driving population pay their car/council tax, the roads in and around Southampton are MINE and therefore I have more right to use them than anyone else.

Sue Bench wrote:
Could anyone please give me some advice as to how to give CPR as my husband has keeled over at the thought of his bank account dwindling rapidly when IKEA comes to Southampton? Thank goodness for city planners coming up trumps twice in as many days, first Bon Jovi, now this, I am a VERY happy bunny!!!

David wrote:

A Shopper wrote:

Dr Stranglelove wrote:

A Shopper wrote:

mo wrote: Lets see how the Ikea shoppers enjoy it when *they* are the ones who are stuck trying to come out of the junction for ages and also stuck for ages on the way home. In town there are already soem fairly long waits to get onto Millbrook/West Quay road at certain points (especially the one into the retail aprt/mcdonalds) so I can only imagine this will make it miels worse.

Yes... those times are called \\\"rush hour\\\". Will happen everyday, no matter if Ikea is there or not.

\'rush hour\'? all day on a Saturday and Sunday I don\'t think so. Oh but it doesn\'t affect you does it as you live in Romsey.

ALL day on a Saturday and ALL day Sunday? Really? ALL day? And yes it does affect me... i actually prefer shopping in Southampton than portsmouth, salisbury or bournemouth! But i've yet to encounter gridlock roads ALL day on Saturday and ALL day on Sundays.

"A Shopper" - you're wrong, but I wouldn;t expect you to admit it judging from your aloofness, nor would I expect you to actually know what the traffic is like in So'ton ALL day, given that you don't actually live there. Yes, I have seen traffic queues ALL day on a Saturday and a Sunday, particularly at Christmas, end of school holidays etc. It isn't "rush hour", as that is typically weekdays before 9am and after 5pm - the traffic is far worse in So'ton than just being isolated to thise time frames and weekdays. Get your facts straight.

A Shopper wrote:

David wrote:

A Shopper wrote:

Dr Stranglelove wrote:

A Shopper wrote:

mo wrote: Lets see how the Ikea shoppers enjoy it when *they* are the ones who are stuck trying to come out of the junction for ages and also stuck for ages on the way home. In town there are already soem fairly long waits to get onto Millbrook/West Quay road at certain points (especially the one into the retail aprt/mcdonalds) so I can only imagine this will make it miels worse.

Yes... those times are called \\\"rush hour\\\". Will happen everyday, no matter if Ikea is there or not.

\'rush hour\'? all day on a Saturday and Sunday I don\'t think so. Oh but it doesn\'t affect you does it as you live in Romsey.

ALL day on a Saturday and ALL day Sunday? Really? ALL day? And yes it does affect me... i actually prefer shopping in Southampton than portsmouth, salisbury or bournemouth! But i've yet to encounter gridlock roads ALL day on Saturday and ALL day on Sundays.

"A Shopper" - you're wrong, but I wouldn;t expect you to admit it judging from your aloofness, nor would I expect you to actually know what the traffic is like in So'ton ALL day, given that you don't actually live there. Yes, I have seen traffic queues ALL day on a Saturday and a Sunday, particularly at Christmas, end of school holidays etc. It isn't "rush hour", as that is typically weekdays before 9am and after 5pm - the traffic is far worse in So'ton than just being isolated to thise time frames and weekdays. Get your facts straight.

I work in Romsey you idiot. I was born in Southampton General hospital 32 yrs ago and have always lived around Southampton. You get you facts straight you donut. Of course traffic is bad during christmas time.. anyone going shopping then expects it to be ... but during normal weekends there ARE NO gridlock roads ALL day on saturday and sundays. YOUR argument is faulty my friend.

bishopchris wrote:
My, my, all this excitement about a SHOP - it really is what Southampton has been missing. I imagine the poor souls in Portsmouth and Bournemouth must be sick with envy today! When you see the traffic chaos this will bring to the city you will change your tune. The net result will end up being FEWER people coming to Southampton to do normal shopping. This is a decision high on greed, but low on foresight.

A Shopper wrote:
So Romsey is a million miles from Southampton is it? Again you exagerrate the situation. I put where i work, not where i've been on holiday or where my nan lives. Read your own post and then decide whose "aloof". Again... you're at fault my friend.

oh dear wrote:
Its a shop. Go, don't go. No one cares. Now, if it was an ice rink instead...

A Shopper wrote:
A bit uptight aren't we David? I'm not better than anyone, but i pity the fools that claim to be better than others. I might not live a good life like yours David, and i don't aim to win at everything. Otherwise life sucks. But then.. you're better then me.

paula parker wrote:
i agree there is enough shops in town we need a ice rink for the younger genaration that might keep them off the streets at night.

Typical Southampton Resident wrote:
How dare the council give permission for something to be built in Southampton which will attract people to the city! All these unnecessary car journeys to Ikea by ‘other people’ will cause more traffic which will affect MY car journeys. As a Southampton resident I have a god given right to drive to the city as and when I chose and not encounter any other traffic what so ever as my journeys are necessary and cannot be made by any other means of transport as it would just not be practical. The council should only give permission for developments in Southampton that attract no-one or better still, repel people from the city. Then I can drive my car in and around the city all day long and never encounter any traffic what so ever. Despite the fact that the majority of the car-driving population pay their car/council tax, the roads in and around Southampton are MINE and therefore I have more right to use them than anyone else.

paula parker wrote:
i agree there is enough shops in town we need a ice rink for the younger genaration that might keep them off the streets at night.

Icemaiden wrote:

paula parker wrote: i agree there is enough shops in town we need a ice rink for the younger genaration that might keep them off the streets at night.

Rowlocks. Since when did icerinks solve all of our problems? Get in the real world sweetheart. How many times has this got to be drummed in to your heads? So'ton doesn't need an icerink. NOt enough people want one, or would support it to be a commercial success. That's why we haven't got one now. It's not difficult to understand, but why do people keep banging on about icerinks still? As if they're the solution to all of life's problems. Get a grip!

COYR wrote:
never mind Ikea, what about more strip clubs and brothels?

DJ Red wrote:
This is FANTASTIC news for Southampton. As a resident of the city centre i have to say i\\\'m extremely happy that Ikea tried numerous times to open a store here and have succeeded. Its no secret that many people from the south journey to Croyden or Lakeside for their furniture. Ikea is a modern, forward looking company and the kind of iconic brand we need here, the capital of the South. Thank you City Council, for once you\\\'ve made the correct decision, hopefully soon we\\\'ll get a Nandos too, then my cup will truly runneth over!!!