There was no market in Ludlow today. The image on this bog was from better times. There never is a market on a Tuesday outside December. Anyways, we have no markets at all now. The town centre is quiet. It is like that everywhere.
Shropshire Council’s reaction to this has been to send in traffic wardens today to slap yellow tickets on vehicles breaching the confusing rules for parking in our town centre.
I asked today council leaders why they were doing this. The response was civil enforcement officers (CEOs) are there “to enforce law and order”. To which was added a statement that CEOs are “working out our cycling walking avenues as instructed by our government.”
Ludlow is not lawless or disorderly. Details of the cycling and walking plans would be important. But from what I read, there are no plans to promote cycling and walking in Ludlow. Shropshire Council is just making up excuses for handing out parking fines. It should concentrate its resources on restrating the economy and that must be a greener economy that we have had to date.
This is my correspondence with Steve Davenport, the Shropshire Council cabinet portfolio holder for highways and transport today. Make of it what you will.
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To council leaders from Andy Boddington
Can you explain why we have CEOs (known as traffic wardens) in Ludlow today?
There are complaints across Facebook. Why do we need CEOs today? We have almost no traffic. Almost no trade. Our market town is at the edge of breaking point. Yet Shropshire Council’s reaction sends in the traffic police.
Why?
We don’t have the powerful voices of the Leader and Cabinet speaking for us in Ludlow. But we have traffic wardens policing an almost dead town.
I can think of no worse way to bring Shropshire Council into disrepute. Our economy is at the edge of collapse but yellow tickets remain the order of the day.
Andy
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From Steve Davenport.
Dear Andrew
I will check, but they are still working for various reasons
Firstly to keep law and order secondly they have been asked to help with all our mkt towns in working out our cycling walking avenues as instructed by our government, and for me they are always on the ground and understand
Every kerb and corner,
I hope that helps
Steve Davenport
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From Andy Boddington
Thanks Steve
Can you what specific work is underway in “our mkt towns in working out our cycling walking avenues as instructed by our government”? Are you planning, for example, closing King Street to traffic. Or extending pavements into road space? When will the CEOs report on their investigations on social spacing and how will that be reported to unitary and local councillors?
Best wishes Andy
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From Steve Davenport.
“Hello again Andrew
When we have a plan we will indeed let you know, as you will be aware this is unprecedented job to do in all our Mkt towns from a standing start,
Steve Davenport”
For many of us traditionalists, a view from better times would be one featuring the town hall with a market hall underneath.
Of course traffic wardens are needed to keep order to the streets. It’s bad enough that you gave to be a mind-reader to guess where the car in front of you us heading when driving in the town. If people park wherever they choose then emergency vehicles could be restricted when trying to attend a call out.
Obviously, these are worrying times for the town’s shopkeepers but even Ludlovians shouldn’t be exempt from following The Highway Code.
These people remind me of the phrase ‘Jobs for the boys ‘
Law and order? Show me disorder in Ludlow during a lockdown requiring Traffic Wardens and I will concur
We need cops not money raisers