Thursday, July 14, 2011
Pedestrianisation of Tonbridge High Street?...
A regular in Mr. Books is Steve Dawe who, among other interests, is involved with the Green Party; we often have some fairly lively conversations about local matters and occasionally Steve even buys a book! Today's topic was whether or not Tonbridge town centre should be pedestrianised. Steve, not surprisingly, is all for it but I've always had my reservations seeing it as a double edged sword. Surely by closing off the High Street to traffic you'd be reducing potential passing trade to shops, I argued. Apparently not though, according to Steve. All the evidence of other towns and cities (such as Canterbury) points to reduced traffic and pollution leading to increased numbers of people (footfall) in the centre. In other words it seems that shoppers enjoy the experience in a town free of traffic and will come in especially eventually because of that. By the end of our conversation I was starting to come around to the idea. After all it's not like Tonbridge has an awful lot to lose, it's hardly a thriving shoppers paradise as it is so why not take a calculated gamble and go for it? I'm sure there are complex issues involved and that it couldn't be done over night but it has to be worth looking into at least. There's an old Chinese saying that goes something like this: if you risk nothing then you risk everything. Is it time for Tonbridge and Malling council to take a risk?...
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9 comments:
I have lived in several towns and areas where they have pedestrianised their High Street and it has been a good idea, you only have to look at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells locally to see how an area takes on a different feel.
I am also very pro the regeneration of Tonbridge High Street, but I am strongly against this idea in Tonbridge (admittedly for what will be seen as selfish reasons).
One key difference between Tonbridge and other towns mentioned in the article and my own comments is that the High Street in Tonbridge is a key route across the town. A town with a very poor public transport system.
I am a wheelchair user, my place of work is one side of the town, my residence the other. Of all the buses that serve the town there are only 3 or routes that are capable of taking a wheelchair, not every bus on these routes can - and then only a manual one, making the journey between the bus stop and the building near impossible.
Thus my only option is taxi's. Direct via the high street these run (depending on if I am sent a T&M, Sevenoaks or TW registered cab) between £7 - 10 each way. When there is an issue in the high street and the only way around is via the industrial estate I am lucky to see change from £25. Even just adjusting it to go around Sainsburys and Waitrose adds £3 to the journey.
Actually what I should do (and do) is argue for a better public transport service but until such a service in place I will continue to campaign for a non pedestrian high street
The moral here, is how do cab drivers sleep at night?
Exactly, I've never met a poor taxi driver yet and I think they will be the first group to oppose the pedestrianisation of the high street
You could have a compromise:
weekdays close it 10 to 3, weekends close it 9.30 until 5.30.
Evenings 7 to 12 closed as well. And when it is closed make sure those speeding police cars are not exempt.
I am all in favour of pedestrianisation or part-pedestrianisation (eg weekends). I think it could really improve the town as a tourist venue. We have a lovely park, castle, swimming pool and river, all of which attract visitors.If the town centre were traffic free we could also have pavement cafes and buskers, walk about without worrying about the traffic, hear ourselves think, and generally feel more relaxed.
It is definitely well overdue, especially as pollutant levels are so high that they are making people ill!
Fran Long
So where's all the traffic supposed to go? I live in Dryhill Park, as it is it's hell up here in the mornings, and evenings with traffic using this road as a rat run to Hadlow Road.
The only bypass is Vale Road, so pedestrianising Tonbridge would mean even more traffic coming up here.
Why not pedestrianise the High Street from the Brook Street roundabout all the way up to the Ivy House. Then you could get one of those little trains they have at the seaside to ferry people up and down.
How about a regular donkey ride service, like you also get at the seaside?
They have created a Shared Space in New Road Brighton - and it has become so successful that the street fills with so many people on weekdays that you can hardly see the paving.
Many other towns are introducing 20mph limits. The whole of Tonbridge High Street could be covered by 20mph speed limits for as little as £2,000.
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