PART of a controversial cycle lane in Southampton is set to be removed after Christmas, it has been revealed.

Last month civic chiefs said they were planning to remove the pop-up cycle lane on the eastern side of Hill Lane - between Bellemoor Road and Burgess Road - once the national lockdown is eased.

Now city bosses have confirmed that the temporary cycle lane will be removed "as soon as possible after Christmas".

A date is yet to be confirmed.

The news comes as lockdown restrictions are going to be eased today.

Southampton City Council said the authority is still working on the plans to remove the cycle lane.

As reported, the council previously said the decision to remove part of the cycle lane between  Bellemoor Road and Burgess Road was taken as data prior to the second lockdown showed a decline in the number of people cycling and reduced social distancing pressures in The Common.

The parking spaces at the site - including extra spaces for people with disabilities- are set to be reinstated.

The remaining 1.3km of cycle lanes between Bellemoor Road and Archers Road are instead expected to remain in place.

As previously reported, the measures are part of the council's Green Transport Recovery Plan which was launched earlier this year to support social distancing and active travel in response to Covid-19.

A number of temporary cycle lanes, including the one on Hill Lane, have been implemented as part of the plan.

But the new measures sparked criticisms with some calling for the pop-up cycle lanes to be removed.

Cllr Steve Leggett, cabinet member for green city and place, said the schemes are implemented using experimental and temporary traffic regulation orders which allow schemes to be trialled before a decision is made on whether or not they are modified, removed or made permanent.

As reported, the cycle lane on Hill Lane also proved to be controversial.

Last month opposition councillor Steven Galton said the temporary cycle lane between Bellemoor Road and Burgess Road “was not the right thing to do”.

But Cllr Leggett hit back saying the schemes were "effective" and the councils had received "positive feedback" from local residents.

The authority said that although part of the cycle lane on Hill Lane is going to be removed, people cycling north of Bellemoor Road can continue to take advantage of the alternative routes running alongside Hill Lane in The Common and along The Avenue.