Soughing

It's ironic, really, that the picture accompanying the rejuvenated petition to stop the town's one-way system is of St Peter's Square roundabout and of the Square itself. Ironic, for a number of reasons.

• The Square will be altered in terms of some parking arrangements but it isn’t part of the one way system.

• The Square has been one way for years and the conversion of Prior Street leading to it was the most recent change. 

• But mostly because the roundabout itself is one of the least pedestrian friendly features of town. 

As a measure to try to stop the scheme, the original petition was poorly supported. People signing the petition now are too late.  The scheme itself is in situ. 

There's nevertheless been something of a kickback as regards the one-way system. It's no doubt motorists who are soughing and unhappy. Most of us are motorists. But, all of us are pedestrians, too. For a change, it's nice to think that pedestrians (and cyclists) are given at least some consideration. 

For these measures protect those who have arrived in town and who are walking around town, not those who are travelling *into* town or through town. At some point, we all need to park our car, get out and actually walk. Hitherto, post-virus, walking has been a hazardous occupation on pavements that are too narrow and sometimes difficult around which to peer. 

During the virus, giving more space to those on foot means that pedestrians need no longer chose between distancing from their fellows and facing an on-coming car that, quite frankly, isn’t going to slow let alone stop. It tries to redress the balance. And it will reduce the number of vehicles simply using the town centre roads to avoid going round it, especially for those heading from west to east. 

The main criticism of the scheme is that it doesn’t go far enough. 

Parking spaces on neither Well Street nor Market Street are affected. As for those who used to park illegally on-street and who cannot now do so, they must get used to a short walk. Our town isn’t big. We do need to recognise that disabled people with blue badges will in some circumstances struggle and we need to be sensitive to their needs. Perhaps there are alternatives. For Market Street, that’s the car park, with dedicated spaces for disabled people. For Well Street, that isn’t so easy but at least here there are fewer businesses along the one-way section. 

Edging towards the target of 500 signatories

One last problem: we’re already seeing evidence of increased traffic speeds along Well Street. Heading into town from Anchor Corner and the pinch point by Williams's Estates naturally helped reduce traffic speeds. Now, motorists can and do seem to charge along the straighter, wider two-way section of Well Street and, with impunity, keep their momentum up the hill to the Square.