A radical package for Bridgnorth’s High Street, including a ban on weekend traffic and moving the Smithfield market stalls so that they can be set up on both sides of the road, has been put forward by the town’s civic society.
Members say the ideas have been successfully carried out in many other traditional market towns where trade has been lost to regional shopping centres or ‘out-of-town’ retail parks. And they are urging councillors and business leaders to visit Lichfield to see how successful the pedestrianisation has been in the Staffordshire town.
“Like them, Bridgnorth cannot hope to compete with the variety of shopping provided by these centres, but should successfully be able to if they make the shopping part of an enjoyable day out,” said a society spokesman.
The society’s suggestionsbuild on proposals adopted for the 2005 Bridgnorth Urban Design Guide.Their main suggestions for High Street for Mondays to Fridays are:-
* Reducing the width of the street to allow parking on both sides of the road, with traffic still allowed, but with container-trees between every fourth bay.
* Banning buses and having pick-up and set-down points off the relief road with the aim of reducing congestion and air pollution in the street.
* Restricting all HGV delivery vehicles during normal shopping hours, which they say benefits shoppers and residents in many small market towns.
* Major hard landscaping improvements with new and more sympathetic paving, co-ordinated street furniture and lighting, outdoor cafe areas and over a number of years a co-ordinated painting scheme using National Trust colours.
* Enforcing shop front planning guidelines and replacing inappropriate windows and signs.
The society’s main ideas for Saturdays and possibly Sundays include:-
*Banning all traffic from the street with a route through for emergency vehicles only.
* Local residents’ free weekend parking on their nearest public car park as compensation for losing vehicle access over the weekend.
* Moving all market stalls from Smithfield to High Street and under co-ordinated coloured awnings on either side of a ‘central route’ as well as allowing a number of outdoor cafes.
* Creating an open square outside the town hall for entertainment on market days including bands and merry-go-rounds, encouraging charity stalls under the hall and regular exhibitions inside the building.
The society also wants to see a major urban tree-planting scheme throughout Bridgnorth to improve air quality, mask poor views and emphasise selected buildings and say they will be enlarging on that proposal next month. They want the town council to take over responsibility for the town’s infrastructure.
“Our streets must be litter-free, our car parks safe and easily accessible, as well as being conveniently located for shoppers and our gardens well planted with the grass regularly cut and our historical buildings and stepped-footpaths well maintained.
“Private landlords and owners should be encouraged to repair and maintain their properties, the streets and pavements must be well-surfaced and, most importantly, the riverside, the cliff railway and the Severn Valley Railway must continue to be supported by the town as they provide that something different which families go out of their way to visit,” said the spokesman.