Comment
Town Centre Masterplans
Representation ID: 848
Received: 11/02/2008
Respondent: Mr J Turvey
Pedestrianise Market Square
No! No! No! please No!.
After reading the article in Fridays Echo I was so angered that Saturday morning I went into the Square to get other peoples opinions first hand.
I actually showed shoppers the Echo article and got a 100% NO! against the idea. I then asked four traders (butcher, hardware, greengrocer & cafe/sandwich bar) for their thoughts. They were all unanimously against the crazy suggestion saying their trade was already down due to a new Somerfield plus a further threat from a second supermarket now under construction. They all fear no parking would be their death knell. The traders also pointed out that the square has only been recently revamped for no apparent reason with a loss of parking spaces. Plus the number of bays in North Street have been reduced and shorter parking periods. Also the when the toilets were removed from the well used free parking area by the Ship pub it become a pay& display which is now very little used, good move that by the counil (give us your money!).
As for the suggestion of tourism the mind boggles. If any tourist wanted to stop at Rochford Town Square after first trying to locate back lane car park. They perhaps might wander into the other Square (confusing that, apparently Rochford now has two). Looking around that might think they are at Butlins or a Spanish timeshare complex.
After speaking to people in the square if it hadn't been for the Echo article majority of residents were unaware of this proposal or is that what the council wants. It appears to me like we have another maverick Ken Livingstone type character in the making. Why? are we only given a week to respond, why? couldn't this proposal been included in the free news magazines about Rochford that come through our door.
From one very angry and now depressed resident of over forty years.
Perdestrianise Market Square
No! No! No! please No!.
After reading the article in Fridays Echo I was so angered that Saturday morning I went into the Square to get other peoples opinions first hand.
I actually showed shoppers the Echo article and got a 100% NO! against the idea. I then asked four traders (butcher, hardware, greengrocer & cafe/sandwich bar) for their thoughts. They were all unanimously against the crazy suggestion saying their trade was already down due to a new Somerfield plus a further threat from a second supermarket now under construction. They all fear no parking would be their death knell. The traders also pointed out that the square has only been recently revamped for no apparent reason with a loss of parking spaces. Plus the number of bays in North Street have been reduced and shorter parking periods. Also the when the toilets were removed from the well used free parking area by the Ship pub it become a pay& display which is now very little used, good move that by the counil (give us your money!).
As for the suggestion of tourism the mind boggles. If any tourist wanted to stop at Rochford Town Square after first trying to locate back lane car park. They perhaps might wander into the other Square (confusing that, apparently Rochford now has two). Looking around that might think they are at Butlins or a Spanish timeshare complex.
After speaking to people in the square if it hadn't been for the Echo article majority of residents were unaware of this proposal or is that what the council wants. It appears to me like we have another maverick Ken Livingstone type character in the making. Why? are we only given a week to respond, why? couldn't this proposal been included in the free news magazines about Rochford that come through our door.
From one very angry and now depressed resident of over forty years.