As the full results of last autumn’s Town Council survey are published, the key news is that both the current pedestrianisation of the western end of the Market Place and the proposed additional closure of the south side of the Market Place are supported by a clear majority of the 823 people who participated. The Town Council has published the detailed report extracted from the 40 pages of comments which have been stripped of personal data.
It is important to remember that the West End closure and the other proposed closures are a direct response to the government’s “COVID-19 – Safer Public Spaces” requirement to open town centres and other public spaces safely, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that permanent pedestrianisation is a separate issue.
The record of the comments at the end of the report shows that a wide range of views have been expressed, so many in fact that it is more practical to group them into topics. It is very clear from the survey what the majority want in order to feel safer and more comfortable in the town centre. Any concerns raised are being borne in mind and in some cases have already been acted upon, such as looking for a much more attractive way of cordoning off the West End.
Please make time to read the results of the survey.