Consultation opens on Mayflower Park barrier and parking changes

Southampton City Council is formally consulting on proposals to change the barriers and parking arrangements at Mayflower Park to an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system

The proposals have come forward after working closely in partnership with local community groups on how to improve the park for everyone and specifically address issues with antisocial behaviour from vehicles.

New barriers at the entrance to Mayflower Park would be installed to better secure and protect the park, improving safety and safeguarding this vital green space.

Parking charges will remain at £1.50 every two hours up until a six hour stay, however there will be a slight increase in charges for stays longer than six hours. Usage figures show that the vast majority park users would be unaffected by this.

The change to automated number plate recognition (ANPR) will also allow for the modernising of the payment system to make this easier and bring it in line with other car parks in the city, with payment being required before passing the exit barrier.

There will also be new camera signs to deter antisocial behaviour, resurfacing of the road at the entrance and re-lining of the parking bays.

Councillor Christie Lambert, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “As part of a wider review of car parking across the city, we are proposing these changes to protect Mayflower Park from antisocial behaviour, manage parking and simplify payment for drivers.

“Mayflower Park is an incredibly popular destination which we are committed to making safer, and we are keen to hear from local people and park visitors about the proposed changes.”

Local people can comment on the proposals through the Traffic Regulation Order consultation on our Connecting Southampton website from Friday 17 October to 7 November 2025.