We support it.
We think it comprises
part of a vision that will help to ensure the future prosperity of the city and
a viable future for the High Street. How? By recognising the strategic
importance of HS1 at Canterbury West, by making the most of heritage assets
like the Westgate Towers, by effectively extending the High Street into
St Dunstan’s and by beginning the process of developing a more sustainable
transport system for the city.
Is it perfect? Of course
not. There has been displacement of traffic to London Road and Station Road West and people there (as in
other parts of the city) have to put up with unacceptable levels of congestion
and pollution. A range of other measures, such as are outlined in the
Sustainable Transport Blueprint for Canterbury
(view here), would need to be urgently introduced to deal with this.
However, preliminary
results from the Trial suggest that traffic in St Dunstan’s overall is down by
15% and in the city overall by 2% and that a number of streets previously in
Air Quality Management Areas could be removed from such status. The Great Stour Way has
been extended into the city centre and a ‘Brompton Dock’ cycle hire scheme will
open shortly at Canterbury West.
We recognise that some
businesses feel that the scheme has had a negative impact on their trade.
Others though, say that their trade has been boosted. As yet, we understand, no
business has closed since the trial started and some new businesses have even
started up. The increased footfall expected in the area as a result of
anticipated increases in visitor numbers would seem to offer potential
increased sales for many of the businesses.
Many residents complain
about feeling disenfranchised by the way in which the Trial was introduced.
Greater consultation, or a phased introduction, may have been preferable. They
might also have led to paralysis. The arguments about the traffic have gone on
for decades and little has been done.
So, where are we now?
Briefly, the situation is as follows:
The County Council has
said that when the Trial ends at the end of March things will revert to how
they were before (i.e. traffic through the Towers, pedestrianised areas
returned to traffic), while interested parties look at the data and decide what
to do. This might cost up to £100,000. The City Council wants the scheme to
remain in place while the evidence is looked at. We think that this is the
right option and can see no sense in spending £100,000 (and a potential further
£100,000) unnecessarily.
We will continue to lobby
for the trial to be made permanent.