A row has erupted between a Post Office manager and a councillor after he asked her to take down a poster against plans to pedestrianise Portswood Broadway.
Tressy Potter was outraged when city councillor John Savage told her it was 'inappropriate' to display posters advertising a protest which saw hundreds of people turn out to oppose the scheme on Saturday.
The 50-year-old, who runs the Post Office in Addis Square, said she felt her freedom of expression had been 'violated' and refused to take it down.
But the Portswood councillor said he was acting on behalf of residents in his ward who had complained to him about it and felt the Post Office should be impartial.
Tressy said: “The Broadway scheme would have a real impact on our business – people couldn’t just stop outside and just pop in as easily as they can now.
“This is why we were more than happy to support the march on Saturday. We do not get subsides from the government to run this Post Office – we operate as a business.
“He said the information was wrong and he didn’t feel the Post office should get involved – I refused to take them down.
“I believe everyone has the right to an opinion.”
The council recently announced plans for a six-month trial of the scheme, which would see the Broadway partly pedestrianised.
There would be bus, taxi, and cycle-only zones at certain times of the day as well as access for emergency services.
Supporters say the scheme would help the environment.
But critics say it would increase traffic and seriously harm businesses - including Tressy's, which is a franchise.
The confrontation happened on Wednesday, January 10 last week.
In response to Tressy’s claims, Cllr John Savage said: “I was contacted by a group of residents that felt to have such signs was not right for a Post Office – that should remain impartial.
“The posters also had some inaccuracies – such as stating it was residents last chance to have a say, when that is not accurate.
“Whether everyone would agree a post office should not comment on such schemes is down to opinion.”
Sixty per cent of respondents of the most recent public consultation supported the plans.
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