Business owners fear their livelihoods will be 'massively affected' if nearby parking spaces are turned into a cycle lane.
Jackie Neat says she is worried she will lose income and customers at The Whimsical Kitchen, her cake shop, on St Denys Road.
For Jackie, the parking spaces are vital for keeping her beloved business afloat.
But she fears she will lose customers if Southampton City Council goes ahead with plans to install the cycle lane outside her shop.
The 41-year-old said: “[Some] people are in favour of it, but I worry at a time where things are tough and the margins are so much smaller, this will not help.
“Any loss of trade at the moment is huge.
“The plans would massively affect our business.
“If people can’t find a space, they won’t come in. People see the shop and pull in here.
“It’s a convenience. I do appreciate things can’t always be convenient, but it’s a case of I have nowhere to tell my customers where they can park.”
Jackie’s concerns are also shared by her neighbour, Gurpreet Kaur who runs the post office and Premier Express on St Denys Road.
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The 32-year-old said: “It’s really going to hit us.
“We get a lot of deliveries on a daily basis and they are brought into the front of the shop.
“We would be at risk of losing Amazon and Evri and that would hit our income again, as well as our customers.
“Bills are through the roof as it is.”
Jackie shares Gurpreet's concerns surrounding deliveries as her shop does not have a back entrance.
All deliveries have to be made through the front door on the main road.
The loss of the parking spaces outside would impact this.
She said: “I would like to have a meeting with the council, face-to-face, about the plans.
“We have our businesses – this is our livelihood and our income.”
The proposals were made public in 2022 and were subject to a previous consultation that year.
Following this, it was decided that cyclists travelling westbound uphill "will benefit the most from a cycle lane."
Now the council’s plans for the road include the proposed cycle lanes, upgraded bus stops, and removing the parking spaces.
The lanes will be built on St Denys Road footway, Priory Road footway, and St Denys Road if approved, and will be funded by the government's Transforming Cities Fund.
The plans are open for public feedback until March 24.
But it’s not only business owners who may be impacted by the changes – residents have also voiced their concerns.
Kamila Ocheduszko, 24, frequently uses the post office.
She said: “This is my first time coming to The Whimsical Kitchen but I use the parking spaces as I visit the post office often.
“It’s convenient to park outside, especially if you are carrying heavy parcels.
“I don’t think the cycle lane would make much of a difference. It’s only one little bit of road and there’s already a cycle path.
“I think it’s important to keep parking here for people and businesses.”
A spokesperson from Southampton City Council said: "This scheme is still in consultation stage.
"A Traffic Regulation Order is currently running until March 24 for the St Denys Road Bus Priority Order and Cycle Notice.
"We would invite residents to share their opinions via the TRO here.
"We will review all the feedback once the consultation has closed and this will be communicated to businesses and residents in the area."
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