Work begins to install speed cameras along one of "most dangerous roads in Hampshire"

Work has begun to install 10 average-speed cameras on one of the ‘most dangerous roads in Hampshire’.

It comes after Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones announced a £560,000 investment in the technology to tackle speeding, dangerous and anti‑social driving on the notorious Portsdown Hill route in the north of Portsmouth.

Contractors have been on site to determine their locations and preparatory work, including getting power to the site, will now get underway overnight tonight (July 27) before the cameras can be erected mid-August.

The Commissioner said: “I know people living on and around Portsdown Hill will be pleased with this news.

“I’m disappointed they couldn’t have been put up at the start of the summer due to the challenge of getting power to the site.

“While this wait has been frustrating, I have been putting pressure on all parties to get the work completed as soon as possible.

“Reckless and anti-social motorists have been affecting people’s lives there for far too long.

“It’s one of the most dangerous stretches of roads in Hampshire with over 60 injury incidents in the past five years. That includes four fatalities.

“I want these cameras to ensure those numbers don’t increase.

“They’ll be a major deterrent for those motorists who think they can flout the law and put lives at risk, making Portsdown Hill Road and James Callaghan Drive safer for all of us.”

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said that it works extremely hard to tackle the constant challenges posed by dangerous drivers.

It said these cameras reinforce the Commissioner’s commitment to supporting those efforts - reducing speeding, improving driver behaviour, and restoring peace for residents.

Chief Inspector Emma Hart from the Roads Policing Unit said: “We all have a right to use our roads without fearing if we will make it home or not.

“Speeding is one of the most common causes of serious and fatal collisions and these cameras will help us make this stretch of road safer for everyone.

“This isn't about making money from motorists; it’s about saving lives. We hope these cameras will be a deterrent to dangerous drivers.”

Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin has welcomed the confirmation of installation date for the Portsdown Hill cameras despite repeated delays,

She said: "I warmly welcome the confirmation that an installation date has finally been set for the average speed cameras on Portsdown Hill. This is something local residents and I have been calling for over many years.

"Residents will understandably be cautious about welcoming this announcement. They have heard promises on installation dates before, only to see delays and no progress. Despite repeated assurances from the Police and Crime Commissioner, deadlines have come and gone without delivery.

"Since early last summer, when I raised this in Parliament, I have worked alongside residents to keep this issue firmly on the agenda. I raised concerns directly with the Policing Minister, brought the Policing Minister to Portsmouth meet local neighbourhood officers, the crime commissioner and residents in Cosham, organised opportunities for residents to raise their concerns with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary at a public meeting and repeatedly sought updates from the Police and Crime Commissioner.

“It is disappointing that mine and constituents letters, emails and commitments made during meetings have gone unanswered and that we learned of this latest development through a press release rather than through the engagement that had been promised.

"I want to thank the residents who have continued to campaign so tirelessly for action. Their persistence has ensured this issue has not been forgotten. I will continue to monitor progress closely and hold those responsible to account to make sure these cameras are installed on time and begin making a real difference to tackling dangerous and anti-social driving on Portsdown Hill."

For more information on the Commissioner’s wider Safer Roads work, visit: Safer Roads – Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner