Call to make Newbury town centre traffic ban permanent
'This is an opportunity to rejuvenate the high street'
PERMANENTLY banning traffic from the centre of Newbury is a “tremendous opportunity to transform the town”, according to one councillor – but not everyone is convinced.
From Monday, vehicles will be stopped from driving down Northbrook Street and Market Place 24 hours a day to make it easier for pedestrians to follow social distancing guidelines.
The two streets are currently closed to traffic from 10am to 5pm, but West Berkshire Council has introduced a temporary traffic order to extend the ban to cover the whole day.
But there have been calls by some, including Newbury Town Council, to go a step further.
At a meeting last Wednesday, held via Zoom, Newbury town councillors voted unanimously in support of their deputy leader Olivia Lewis’ motion to ban cars permanently.
In a passionate speech, she said: “I present this motion to the council, supporting WBC’s pedestrianisation of areas of the town centre, and, in line with the Newbury Town Council strategy, I urge them to make this permanent in the Market Place (excluding Wharf Street), with other areas also in contention.
“I have seen concerns online about this and hope that West Berkshire Council can reassure us that none of this will be done without consulting local businesses, Newbury Town Council, the BID [Business Improvement District] and community members, as well as looking at how to safely allow walking and cycling alongside one another.
“There is no point in setting a trial up to fail, when a few simple tweaks could have meant success.
“Much of this is not within the gift of Newbury Town Council, but I feel it is important to show our support for shaping a different town centre post-lockdown, with pedestrians and cyclists at its heart.
“This transformed town centre would be a safer, more pleasant place to be; a town centre we could all be proud of.”
Supporting the motion, Green Party councillor Steve Masters said: “I have been looking at social media and while there is clearly a lot of support for this tremendous opportunity, as I see it, to transform Newbury town centre, we are going to have to bring people who are more sceptical about this with us.
“This is an opportunity to absolutely reshape Newbury.
“I think this is an opportunity to rejuvenate the high street, which is already dying as people choose to shop elsewhere.
“It would be a good way to remould and reshape the town.”
Mr Masters added that evidence showed car-free town centres helped to improve footfall for bars and restaurants.
Lib Dem councillor Roger Hunneman said: “It would be really good to facilitate outdoor eating and drinking.
“This was always the intention for the Market Place.”
However, residents’ views on whether to make it permanent are very much divided.
More than 1,600 people have responded to a poll on our website, www.newburytoday.co.uk, with 52 per cent against the town centre becoming traffic-free, 47 per cent in favour of the idea and one per cent unsure.
The town council has also called on the district council to take the following ‘urgent’ steps:
* To robustly evaluate the impact of this pedestrianisation on local business, residents and vulnerable groups, and consult on whether and how to extend pedestrianisation after the end of this trial.
* To ensure social distancing for cyclists and pedestrians, especially in Newbury
* To trial prioritising these groups on certain roads, by, for example, ensuring they are prioritised for pedestrians (and cyclists) and introducing temporary traffic calming/access measures on residential streets.
* To produce and share an action plan detailing how safe travel to schools will be facilitated if the government decides to close streets around schools during drop-off and pick-up times and;
* To provide additional secure cycle parking in the town centre
