PLANS to turn part of Southampton city centre into a traffic-free zone have been given the go-ahead.

New Road, Above Bar Street and Portland Terrace are set to be closed to through traffic.

The three roads are expected to remain open to taxis, buses and cyclists in a bid to encourage sustainable travel.

Meanwhile, closures and other measures could also be put in place at Devonshire Road, Cumberland Place, London Road, Bellvue Road and Civic Centre Road.

The move is part of the £4.1m Green Transport Recovery Plan approved by cabinet members  at Southampton City Council this afternoon (July 14).

Further details of the schemes including a start date and how the measures will be enhanced are yet to be revealed.

But according to official documents they could be rolled out by September this year.

The public is set to be consulted while the scheme is trialled.

Other measures highlighted in the plan include a number of pop-up cycle and bus lanes which are currently being trialled across the city.

These include temporary cycle and bus lanes on Bassett Avenue, The Avenue, Hill Lane and Bitterne Road West.

Talking to cabinet members, Cllr Steve Leggett, cabinet member for green city and place at the city council, described the Green Transport Recovery Plan as a "unique opportunity" to build on the initiatives implemented over the past two years in a bid to tackle pollution.

He said active travel has "significantly increased" during lockdown.

"All of the measuers in the plan will also support our long term vision for a greener and healtier city", he added.

Consultations on the pop-up cycle and bus lanes are already under way.

Cllr Christopher Hammond, council leader, has invited people to have their say.

He said: "Change is never easy and change of this scale is generating a lot of debate which is to be welcomed. There will be a significant amount of work going forward. We want to hear from everybody who has a view and although the consultation is a little bit different we are listening and we want to know what people think about these schemes."