Call to lift traffic ban on market day mornings
Newbury town councillor says she has 'serious concerns' about the impact on traders
A NEWBURY town councillor is urging West Berkshire Council to lift the 24-hour town centre traffic ban on market day mornings for the next few months to allow early trading to carry on taking place.
Vehicles are currently prohibited from travelling through Northbrook Street and the Market Place to make it easier for pedestrians to follow social distancing guidelines.
And last week, the town council voted unanimously in support of a proposal from its deputy leader Olivia Lewis to make that ban permanent, with councillors saying it was a chance to ‘rejuvenate’ the town.
However, at a virtual Newbury Town Council meeting last week, councillor Martha Vickers said she was now putting forward a slightly amended proposal after hearing “serious concerns” from the market manager that it could have a negative impact on traders.
Mrs Vickers has now asked that the town council writes to West Berkshire Council asking if the ban could be scrapped until after 10am on Thursday and Saturday mornings to alleviate those concerns.
However, her proposal did not find favour with all of her colleagues.
She said: “I understand from the market manager, and she has voiced this before to me, that early in the morning they have a tremendous amount of trade.
“They have disabled people and some with limited mobility who come into the town centre and come very close to the market with their cars.
“Some people come because they are buying a lot from the market.”
She added: “This is where the ban would really affect these people.”
Mrs Vickers continued: “The market traders, I think, have access to the bollards to get themselves into the town centre to set up.
“So I’m assuming it could work by the bollards not going up until 10am.”
Gary Norman, chairing the meeting, said: “We are saying that customers currently arrive in the morning in a car, drive right up to the stall, buy a load of stuff and put it in the back of their car?
“Presumably that’s not allowed at the moment even though it’s happening?
“Because you aren’t allowed to park there are you?”
Mrs Vickers replied: “I think they park very briefly.”
Councillor Tony Vickers added: “They stop as close as they can get with their piece of paper and the traders are there ready to provide what they’ve ordered. Then they are off.
“That comes to something like half or more of all the turnover of some of those traders.
“The answer to this is quite simple – it will cost the district council nothing and it will involve them in no work because the market manager has the keys that work the bollards in Wharf Street.”
He added: “Keep the bollards down until 10 as they are now. Where’s the harm?”
However, Green Party councillor David Marsh said: “We have heard a lot over the years from this council and elsewhere about changing the subtle ways people behave.
“We can’t walk three minutes from the Wharf car park to the market?
“We can’t walk about five minutes maximum from the Kennet Centre car park to the market?
“That is quite poor really and suggests that as soon as we cross the slightest challenge to make changes we are saying ‘oh no let people drive up to the market’.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
He added: “I just don’t understand this attitude really.
“I don’t want to discourage people from shopping early at the market, but if they want to come in they can park at the Wharf.
“If they have disabilities then I think that is a different matter, but I can’t believe that 99 per cent of people using that market can’t walk two or three minutes from the Wharf.
“It is not very far, it is not very hard.
“I think we should have a bit more courage about this and not be afraid to say to people we are expecting them to change their behaviour in small ways.”
Mrs Vickers said she agreed, but was “just putting forward the views of the market manager, whose opinion I respect”.
Six members of the committee voted in favour of asking West Berkshire Council to allow vehicular trade in the town prior to 10am on market days, while four councillors voted against.
