AN apology that I am sure I read somewhere...

Dear Avenue road users,

On behalf of Southampton City Council please accept our sincere apologies for the disruption that our well intentioned installation of cycle lanes in the Avenue has brought. We did not realise how few cyclists would actually take advantage of the facility. Despite our extensive research covering a period of in excess of one week, we did not realise that the no right turn from The Avenue into Burgess Road would cause a tailback causing problems for drivers turning north out of Highfield Lane.

Nor did we realise that restricting Upper Bassett Avenue to a single lane would cause problems in all directions at the Winchester Road roundabout and we are now concerned that when daily traffic to the port area when the cruise ships return and Saints recommence playing at St Marys that this could be exacerbated.

We would like to reassure residents and visitors that our far reaching vision will also extend, when more traffic enters and leaves the city centre, to ensuring that drivers wishing to leave the city northbound will be able to use Bedford Place as well as just the lower reaches of the Avenue.

Having considered all aspects carefully and noting the concerns for a variety of reasons, we are pleased to confirm that the road system will be returned to its former version.

Our target date for this change is 1st April next year.

Anyway, I was certain of the validity of this, then I awoke from my slumbers.

Ian Ritchie

Chandler's Ford