In a meeting this morning, we agreed to put in place immediate measures to try and ease some of the problems created by the emergency closure of King Street. That closure followed significant damage to the Grade-I listed Buttercross by a late night truck. New signs are being put in place to ensure traffic using the official diversion over Whitcliffe do not turn left onto Linney. The signs will direct town centre traffic from Dinham Bridge up Dinham. At the other end of Linney, traffic from Corve Street will be discouraged by signs that say no diverted traffic, residents only. Given the damage to historic walls in Linney by lost or confused truck drivers in recent days, satnav instructions have been updated.
Tag: Pedestrianing Ludlow town centre
Covid Watch 63: King Street closure order has come into force – it’s closed to vehicles every Friday and Saturday for up to 18 months
The closure of King Street between 10am and 3pm today and tomorrow is a temporary measure. Initially it will be in place for 18 months but it can be cancelled at any point if it is causing disruption. The closure is to promote social distancing on one of our busiest streets for traffic and pedestrians. In ordinary times, pedestrians squeeze along the narrow pavements with their shopping bags and pushchairs. They frequently spill out into the road, as do the drivers of mobility scooters, where they compete with cars and vans for use of the narrow street. This congestion has always been hard to resolve because shops need deliveries, town centre residents require access to their homes and people coming into town to shop or eat need to park. Now the experimental closure to motorised vehicles is underway. We must see how it works.
Covid Watch 57: Shropshire Council publishes order to close King Street to vehicles on Friday and Saturday 10am to 3pm
Today, Shropshire Council published the orders to close King Street during the middle of the day on Fridays and Saturdays. The closure will come into force next Friday, 26 June. There has been a lot of debate and confusion about this road closure. Many people want King Street with its “narrows” closed at peak periods seven days a week (see my poll). Others did not want it closed at any point, especially owners of town centre businesses. Ludlow Town Council wanted High Street closed as well. Then Shropshire Council unexpectedly decided to close King Street seven days a week. After something of a rumpus, the council decided to restrict the closure to two days. Which what we agreed in the first place. We must now see how this goes. We need to talk to businesses, residents, shoppers and visitors about how the closure helps them or whether it hinders them.
Covid Watch 60: Shropshire Council agrees to limit road closures for coronavirus in Ludlow and spins the reason why
As I explained this morning, Shropshire Council had made something of a mess of introducing road closures to promote social distancing in Ludlow. Today, the council issued a press release, which I copy below. This abandons any idea of closing High Street at any point. It also abandons the idea that King Street should be closed seven days 10am to 3pm. The closure would only be on Friday and Saturday. The press release says this is “following concerns raised by local councillors and the town council”. That’s spin worthy of Alastair Campbell. It is now clear that despite two town council meetings formally agreeing Friday and Saturday closure only, Shropshire Council decided that it would go for a seven day closure regardless. It was only under pressure over three days that Shropshire Council backed down.
Covid Watch 59: Shropshire Council withdraws seven day closures for King Street and High Street in favour of agreed two day closures for King Street
The last seven days have not been Shropshire Council’s finest hours. Especially for its highway’s managers. Last Thursday or thereabouts, it issued an experimental traffic regulation order closing King Street and High Street every day of the week between 10am and 3pm. On Friday afternoon it issued a press release confirming the closure from Monday morning. Only yesterday afternoon, did highway’s managers admit that the experimental TRO was wrong. We had agreed closure on Fridays and Saturdays during the middle of the day. And only for King Street. Not for High Street. Not for Sunday to Thursday. The result of the confusion is that the agreed King Street road closure, Friday and Saturday, 10am to 3pm, will not be in place until next week.