A poll of almost 1,000 voters in Nantwich shows most do not want a section of Beam Street in the town centre pedestrianizing.
We ran a poll on our Facebook group amid the current closure of the section between Manor Road and Waterlode/Welsh Row for footway and resurfacing works.
In total, 932 people voted on the question “Should that section be pedestrianised in future?”
And 56% – 539 votes – voted against the idea while 42%, or 394 votes, were for the idea of pedestrianizing. The other 2% voted “not sure”.
Those against feel it would be a big blow to local businesses and cause traffic problems in other areas of the town.
Those for the idea feel it would create a safer, nicer environment for visitors and shoppers on foot.
It comes as work on the current footway and road improvement scheme draws to an end.
Highways say it will be completed and re-opened by mid-October, with the central island completion by end of this week.
John McMillan runs Johnsons Printers, a business based on Oatmarket for more than 200 years. He was against the idea of pedestrianization.
John said: “I’d probably be one of the businesses most affected if the area became pedestrianised having a main shop frontage on Oat Market and a delivery entrance on Beam Street.
“I’d be totally against full pedestrianisation and after spending 35 years overlooking the area in question I can’t see a particular need for it.
“The current pavements are hardly that busy and it’s become more and more difficult over the years to operate from the middle of town as it is.
“We have on average 30 collections a day from the shop (and that excludes collections from our couriers, Royal Mail and overnight carriers), some can be bulky and heavy and need vehicles.
“We’ve managed to keep the business in town and on the Oat Market for nearly 200 years despite having a bus stop put outside one entrance and a zebra crossing outside the other (thanks Cheshire East!), but closing the road off similar to High Street and The Square could be the last straw.
“Pedestrian areas also seem to give more freedom to the illegal scooters and electric bikes that fly rapidly and chaotically all over the The Square!”
The current 18-week development started in June and are scheduled to be completed in October.
For more details on the scheme, visit here.
(Images courtesy of CEC)
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