Rochford Area Action Plan: Schedule of Modifications

The Rochford Town Team is in broad agreement with most of the amendments to the RAAP with respect to the Market Square modifications but we make the following additional comments and strongly request their inclusion in an amended proposal:
1. A 'yellow box junction' at the entrance to West Street is preferable to the current 'keep clear' markings. This is a much more visible marking and will therefore be a clearer deterrent to drivers. This yellow box area should extend sufficiently down West Street to enable buses to enter West Street with ease.
2. The south side of West Street should have the pavement widened from Barclays Bank up to the top of West Street and preferably round the corner into South Street. This will enable easier access for pedestrians using the facilities on this side of the market square. This change will also force large vehicles to make a wider turning arc into West Street, thereby reducing the occurrence of buses/lorries mounting the kerb or damaging the fascia of the corner premises. If possible, the kerb at the corner of South Street and West Street should also be raised on both sides of the dropped kerb to deter vehicles from mounting the kerb. Any change in this area should be discussed with the local bus company to ensure it is still feasible for buses to gain access to the Square.
3. The taxi rank in West Street external to the central parking area could also be removed (moving it to Roche Close near to the NatWest Bank parking area is our preference since this is close to the Coop and also in walking distance from the Square). A taxi telephone call point could also be installed in the Square so people could call to be picked up from the Square. Moving these taxis will ease the flow of traffic down West Street and provide additional space for cars queuing to park. It will also facilitate the widening of the pavement on the south side of West Street as mentioned above.
4. Taxis should not be allowed to use the free parking area when the taxi is waiting for business.
5. All pavement areas should be kept clear from traders' goods on market days, except where a trader is specifically granted rights to set up on the paved area. When pavements are encroached upon, this causes difficulties for pedestrians, especially for the elderly, disabled or those with children.
6. Additional free parking would be beneficial to trade, especially since the Residents' Permit Parking Scheme has come into force and thereby further restricting free parking local to the town centre. Additional free parking should be provided as follows:
- Increasing the free parking time along North Street from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Allowing 1 hour free parking in the Old Ship Lane car park.
- Allowing 1 hour free parking in the upper part of the Back Lane car park (this would also be beneficial for people who are calling in at the doctors' surgeries).
7. We are pleased to see that pedestrianisation has been rejected and free car parking retained. We firmly believe that no future pavement widening is required other than as mentioned above, for the following reasons:
- To reduce free car parking in the Square automatically results in fewer shoppers and has a consequent impact on traders.
- Further development of a café culture would adversely affect similar businesses already trading in Rochford locations other than the Square.
- Rochford is a historic market town and turning the Square over to a café culture would not be in keeping with this.