Gurteen objection still blocks high street traffic ban
Wednesday, 31st October 2012.
Town councillors saw their hopes of full pedestrianisation of Haverhill High Street receding to a distant dream during an update on the issue at last night's council meeting.
Town clerk Will Austin was reporting back to members on his efforts in recent weeks to progress the idea of pedestrianisation, which they had asked him to pursue.
But after a series of meetings, Mr Austin was only able to report on an impasse, and members have begun to look more seriously at potantial ways of enforcing the current traffic restrictions instead.
Mr Austin reported on a meeting he had had with Suffolk County Council's portfolio holder for transport, Cllr Guy MacGregor, whose department would have to put forward any change in traffic regulations in the street.
Cllr MacGregor told himthe council preferred 'shared space' solutions where cars and pedestrians mingle happily together as, apparently, in Felixstowe.
Mr Austin had replied that this was pretty much what Haverhill had at the moment and it was not a happy mix at all.
Cllr MacGregor also indicated that,of the 14 objections tom the scheme for closing off the street to traffic which the council had proposed recently, the one which was viewed most seriously was that of Gurteens.
This was the 'most salient objection' on legal and technical grounds. If Gurteens were to withdraw their objection, Cllr MacGregor said it would make the issue 'very interesting'.
Mr Austin, who had had an informal meeting with Christopher Gurteen which had seemed more optimistic, as Mr Gurteen had indicated he was not opposed to pedestrianisation, set up a further meeting between them.
This time, however, Mr Gurteen was accompanied by his property advisor Chris Blake, and Mr Austin said it was quite a different story.
"It seems there is no obvious compromise," Mr Austin told members. Gurteens would only be prepared to consider it if they could achieve de-listing of the buildings on their site, Mr Austin said.
This would allow them to sell the site for development and create purpose-built premises on the edge of town.
Cllr Mary Martin said she was not in favour of de-listing the buildings. "We have few buildings in this town of note and this is one of them," she said.
"Christopher Gurteen has told me in the past he wants his prestigious entrance to remain. That is the way he brings important customers into the site."
Cllr Maureen Byrne asked why the council should do the work on de-listing on behalf of Gurteens, and members decided not to ask the clerk to look into de-listing.
Cllr Bryan Hawes said the issue had been talked about since 1975 and the way it was going it would still be talked about in 2075.
"We need enforcement now," he said. "We need to talk about towing away, and about clamping people. What is the will of the council in the short-term to stop the danger to shoppers?"
Cllr Martin said she had some sympathy with that view. "This has been going on for more than 25 years," she said. "We do have pedestrianisation from 10am to 4pm and lack of enforcement is the reason why it has never worked."
She thought recent action by the police had made a difference.
"I don't want to see this issue coming back on our agenda month after month. Let's just enforce it," she said.
Mr Austin reported a meeting he had had with PC Will Wright about ways of enforcing the regulations, such as a manned barrier, but this would cost money.
Cllr Hawes urged that the clerk gathered together all the facts about what the council could and could not do legally, so they could decide what to do.
Members also agreed to look into a suggestion from borough councillor Gordon Cox, who spoke in the public forum, that the street should be made pay and display from 8am to 6pm seven days a week at £4.10p an hour.
Mr Austin said this could only be done if the county council agreed to de-criminalise parking offences, otherwise police would still have to enforce it.
The county council has said it is not prepared to do this, because it would have to do it countywide.
Town clerk Will Austin was reporting back to members on his efforts in recent weeks to progress the idea of pedestrianisation, which they had asked him to pursue.
But after a series of meetings, Mr Austin was only able to report on an impasse, and members have begun to look more seriously at potantial ways of enforcing the current traffic restrictions instead.
Mr Austin reported on a meeting he had had with Suffolk County Council's portfolio holder for transport, Cllr Guy MacGregor, whose department would have to put forward any change in traffic regulations in the street.
Cllr MacGregor told himthe council preferred 'shared space' solutions where cars and pedestrians mingle happily together as, apparently, in Felixstowe.
Mr Austin had replied that this was pretty much what Haverhill had at the moment and it was not a happy mix at all.
Cllr MacGregor also indicated that,of the 14 objections tom the scheme for closing off the street to traffic which the council had proposed recently, the one which was viewed most seriously was that of Gurteens.
This was the 'most salient objection' on legal and technical grounds. If Gurteens were to withdraw their objection, Cllr MacGregor said it would make the issue 'very interesting'.
Mr Austin, who had had an informal meeting with Christopher Gurteen which had seemed more optimistic, as Mr Gurteen had indicated he was not opposed to pedestrianisation, set up a further meeting between them.
This time, however, Mr Gurteen was accompanied by his property advisor Chris Blake, and Mr Austin said it was quite a different story.
"It seems there is no obvious compromise," Mr Austin told members. Gurteens would only be prepared to consider it if they could achieve de-listing of the buildings on their site, Mr Austin said.
This would allow them to sell the site for development and create purpose-built premises on the edge of town.
Cllr Mary Martin said she was not in favour of de-listing the buildings. "We have few buildings in this town of note and this is one of them," she said.
"Christopher Gurteen has told me in the past he wants his prestigious entrance to remain. That is the way he brings important customers into the site."
Cllr Maureen Byrne asked why the council should do the work on de-listing on behalf of Gurteens, and members decided not to ask the clerk to look into de-listing.
Cllr Bryan Hawes said the issue had been talked about since 1975 and the way it was going it would still be talked about in 2075.
"We need enforcement now," he said. "We need to talk about towing away, and about clamping people. What is the will of the council in the short-term to stop the danger to shoppers?"
Cllr Martin said she had some sympathy with that view. "This has been going on for more than 25 years," she said. "We do have pedestrianisation from 10am to 4pm and lack of enforcement is the reason why it has never worked."
She thought recent action by the police had made a difference.
"I don't want to see this issue coming back on our agenda month after month. Let's just enforce it," she said.
Mr Austin reported a meeting he had had with PC Will Wright about ways of enforcing the regulations, such as a manned barrier, but this would cost money.
Cllr Hawes urged that the clerk gathered together all the facts about what the council could and could not do legally, so they could decide what to do.
Members also agreed to look into a suggestion from borough councillor Gordon Cox, who spoke in the public forum, that the street should be made pay and display from 8am to 6pm seven days a week at £4.10p an hour.
Mr Austin said this could only be done if the county council agreed to de-criminalise parking offences, otherwise police would still have to enforce it.
The county council has said it is not prepared to do this, because it would have to do it countywide.
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