Which option for the Market Square do you prefer?

Option 2. But with FREE parking for 1 hour in Back Lane to encourage visitors and support for small business.

I prefer option 2 - I have lived in Rochford for three years and enjoy going to the market square but this change would make it a much more user friendly area for residents to enjoy.

Preference is Option 1

Option 1 definitely, i think this will continue to ensure trade for local businesses from those in the wider community, not within walking distance of the town. The other car parks are underutilised as they charge. Make them free, especially at the weekend, and more people will visit. Also, signs on the approaches showing available space would help people navigate the car parks, not sit and block the traffic hoping a space will be available for free.

I have spoken to all of my customers and asked there opinion on pedestrianisation of the square and they all have said the same thing they think this would Encourage gangs of children. To hang about and cause trouble , also I believe that approx 62 % of rochford are of retirement age and they are not into cafe culture and would like to drive into rochford get parked in the square and do some shopping , we often get our clients telling us that they don't come near rochford on Tuesdays as it is market day and they cannot get parked. I am concerned as at this present time you can go to a lot of places and get free parking and I believe that to pedestrianise the squre would stop a lot of people coming into the town , . I have been at this address for 18 years and have seen the decline in trade over the years , I would like to see something done in the square to encourage people back not scare them away .also if there where tables put in the square they would be used by the younger generation and look an eyesore very quickly , and this would be an added cost to the council to keep them neat and free from vandalise

Option 2. But with FREE parking for 1 hour in Back Lane to encourage visitors.

I visit the square on a daily basis to use the shops and specifically the banks as my business is located on the edge of Southend Airport. Whilst I agree that there are issues with congestion it is fair to say that with a growing population and more vehicles on the road limiting the amount of parking spaces I do not believe this will encourage people to use the square, in fact I believe it will turn people away.

Possible relocation of the taxi ranks would be a good idea in Back Lane so that the ranks could be turned into more parking bays to ease congestion of waiting cars. I also agree that widening part of the footpath outside the butchers, card shop etc wis a good idea as there is plenty of road space in the square that can be used. I have noticed that pedestrians struggle at times to get past the shops and the parked cars.

I think that option 1 is best at this time

I don't like either proposal but if I had to pick one, Option 1 is better than Option 2.

The Parish Council do not favour this option at all as it would have an adverse effect on businesses in the Market Square.

Out of the two options Rochford Parish Council prefer option 1, although it is felt there is really no need to reduce the amount of parking spaces at all, as this would deter people from visiting the Town Centre. In addition, the reduced number of parking spaces will mean that the queues which currently block West Street and the crossroads will become more frequent. There is also an issue with the lack of enforcement of the queues which frequenly hinder the passage of buses into the Square, and cause tail backs in South and East Street.

I do not prefer either option, they both do not cater for adequate and affordable parking in the area. These plans in conjunction with Essex CC parking plans (Local Parking Plan Amendment 30 order 201), will simply kill of trade in the Town. Local councils should be working to find a solution to affordable parking to regenerate visitors to the town, protect livelihoods and jobs, and future success of Rochford Market square and surrounding streets. The council need to provide the following:-

Free 1 hour parking in back lane car park and old ship car park.
Retain convenience parking in the square and reduce taxi rank parking to 3 spaces, replacing the 3 of the 6 spaces with additional free parking.
Change the entry point for the car park to the current exit, and exit to current entrance creating a loop effect - elevates cars waiting in a queue and traffic jam for buses.
Provide free parking permits for business owners (retailers), in back lane car park relieving strain on them parking in residential areas.
Move taxi rank to loading bay behind spar, and replace existing taxi rank for 3 additional parking spaces (free).
Lobby Train and Airport car park owners to reduce parking fees which will reduce public from migrating to the local streets for parking.

All very simple really. Stop paying taxpayers money on ridiculous studies by people who do not live or use the town, listen to the people and take the correct and appropriate action.

I think option 1 is the best of the 2 options offered, but with double yellow lines on both sides of West Street from the entrance at Horners Corner to 1 or maximum 2 car lengths from the entrance to the car park, but this must be reinforced by a camera or more traffic wardens. I feel this would make West Street much safer for pedestrians and much more free flowing for all through traffic

Thank you for consulting English Heritage on focused changes to the Rochford Area Action Plan. As set out in our representations to the draft Submission document in our letter dated 29 August 2013, we welcome the contents of the AAP and do not have concerns regarding the plan's soundness. Our letter has already expressed a preference for Option 2 (Figure 12) as a more ambitious proposal that could result in greater benefits for the town's historic environment. We maintain this preference.

I feel that the Market should stay almost exactly as it is now and the Council should not waste money on alterations. Whilst I do acknowledge there are problems when cars are waiting to get into the car park and buses turning these could be overcome by reversing the entrance and exit to Market Square car park. Better traffic management with wardens and CCT cameras would also help. The town is very pleasant to visit, with some good shops. Any of the proposed alterations would harm commerce, the place could become a 'ghost town' and the skateboarders will flourish!

option one is preferable than option two, but i think the best option is to leave the square as it is!

Chelmsford City Council Officer's have no specific comments to make on this document.

Of the two options, option 1 is preferred as it minimises the loss of parking spaces. It is still a poor option though. I consider that there are better alternatives which I have summarised separately below

I prefer Option 1, though I would like to have seen the traffic flow into the square reversed. I think the current system creates to many hold-ups at Horners Corner. I fail to see the advantage in widening the pavements. People will always try to park as close as they can and therefore offering the option of parking in Back Lance or the Old Ship car parks is probably a non-starter.

I have looked through both options and they both have their merits. Having lived here for more than 30 years I have come to the conclusion that it is the traders who attract most visitors to the town.
I would like to see the queueing traffic in West Street reduced by providing an area in Back Lane car park with free parking for e.g.30 mins; a wider pavement on the North side of the Square would help pedestrians and mobility scooter riders as well as parents with pushchairs. Keep the bus stop for the elderly travellers.

Dears sirs as a rochford trader of forty five year i am horrified by your current square proposals.

Both your options for the square will adversely affect trade there is no option to increase parking as suggested in the portas review and a number of other government reviews. The only suggestion I would make is to return the square to the larger size of the 1950, and increase free parking. Coupled with your current proposal to restrict parking to residents only in the town centre is another nail in the traders coffin. You only need to restrict parking to one hour between 9.00 am and 5.30 pm this would allow parking for shoppers but not commuters. I was amassed to find a council wanting to drive out shoppers from the town they control, but seem unaware that with out shoppers you will not have any shops.
I am now Rochfords second oldest town centre trader, yet i have never had advise sort from me or others like me.

Re Parking Rochford Square

It seems a good idea but moving the taxis is not good as having only three cars on the square would be unfair for the elderly if these three got jobs the elderly would have to wait and as Rochford Council says they support small business, each taxi driver is a small business.

I wish to protest in the strongest terms of the planned pedestrianisation of the Market Square in Rochford.

I believe that this plan would 'kill off' Rochford completely as many people would not easily get to the shops.
The Government's policy is to seek to promote growth in existing centres to encourage a full range of services in high-quality areas that are accessible to all. Town centres are recognised as being central to the delivery of sustainable development patterns. By pedestrianising the town centre it would do nothing for regeneration nor development as the centre of the town would die. Why come to a town where the local shops are not easily accessible?
I have an elderly mother 85 years old and I take her to the local butchers, bakers and other shops in the town. She, like many elderly people is disabled so cannot get around easily and we have to queue for a parking space now. She like many others need accessibility to shops.
We have a good range of services in high-quality areas that are accessible to all - butchers, bakers, cobblers, health food, fancy goods, general stores, hardware, nail bar, china, newsagents and post office. If the public cannot easily get to them this plan will close them all down.
I myself stop in the market square to do some shopping if this is lost then I like many other car users will simply go to the large supermarkets in Southend, why pay an extra 40pence for a loaf of bread or pay 40p to get some cash out or pay into the bank.
Any observer can see that the car park is well used now, cutting down on spaces in the centre of town will make the queues worse. It is interesting that on TV these last few weeks has been a documentary about parking it is clear from this programme that where councils have made more pedestrianisation the shops close down. The car queuing got worse when the council changed the entry and exit's a few years ago.
Looking at your Introduction and Background
Item 1 'could encourage a complementary café culture - wonderful you can get a coffee but you can't get a pint of milk or a loaf of bread! To encourage people to come to a café society there needs to be attractions, shops and events on a regular basis. Having the art trail once a year is not sufficient.
Item 2 What are the positive benefits - when the shops close because no one can stop to get any items it will create a ghost town.
On page 3 of your leaflet 'Rochford Area Action Plan' you say the market square is currently being used as a car park well what is wrong with that? Why is it a missuse? Would the area be used as recreation and civic focus from 8.00 am to 7.00 pm every day. No of course it would not. It would probably encourage more young people to hang about the square.
Who wants then café society? There was a café in West Street which closed years ago, there was a café which closed down where the Kebab shop is now. The café with the wet fish shop is closing - don't you think we have enough with the 3 cafes already? I sincerely hope that the council official who wants the café culture will bring their families every weekend so that they will be supported before they run out of customers and have to close.
Why must councillors come up with plans to make the lives of ordinary people and council tax payers more difficult?
The idea is flawed and totally against what the public in this area wish and should be stopped straight away. It seems to have resurrected from a few years ago so if you are told no by the council tax payers and residents and shopkeepers why do you still want to keep bringing it up. Listen to what the residents want!

Dear Sir/Madam

As requested I enclose my comments on the two options put forward to Rochford Market Square, as part of the Rochford Area Action Plan Focussed Changes consultation.

I would be grateful if this representation and each of my comments could be taken into account, before further steps are taken in this matter.

Two things i was objecting to both schemes for the square. Agreening with the rochford chamber of trade scheme, or suggesting that the square revert to the lines and parking arrangements of 1950.

Your residents parking scheme i was objecting to that, as it states it wants to stop shoppers parking in the town centre, i wanted to suggest a one hour only allowed parking six days a week excepting sunday, for 9.30am to 5-00pm, stopping commuter parking but allowing shoppers to park. Stopping town centre parking will only force shops to close.

I fully support Option 1.

Pedestrianisation of the square is long overdue.

Option 2