Pedestrianisation faces chop

9:10am Friday 5th October 2001

PEDESTRIANISATION could be ripped out of Chesham's High Street if residents and traders opt to bring back town centre traffic.

A huge public survey will be posted to thousands of households across the town and surrounding areas as part of a fresh drive to sort out Chesham's traffic problems – once and for all.

The consultation, for which a date has not been set, will outline three proposals for the future of the town centre.

The exact wording of the choices has yet to be decided but at a meeting of Chesham Town Council's town centre revitalisation committee this week, councillors voted for the following options:

1. Leave the High Street how it is;

2. Totally close the High Street to all traffic at designated times;

3. Allow traffic back through the High Street.

The town council's rolling policy is to promote a total pedestrianisation of the High Street banning all vehicles.

However, in recent months some traders and retailers have become more supportive of calls to bring traffic back to boost flagging trade.

At Monday's committee meeting, town councillors were split over including the third option.

Cllr Peter Yerrel (Residents' Association, Pond Park) warned against the council asking a question it may not like the answer to.

He said: "I don't see there is any reason why we should change our policy because there is no ground swell of opinion to do so."

But Cllr David Ponting (Lib Dem, Waterside) said it was the democratic right of Chesham residents to be given the chance to choose from all possible options.

Any option that wins public support would have to be passed by transport chiefs at Buckinghamshire County Council.

A spokesman for Buckinghamshire County Council said: "It is unlikely, at this stage, that the county council would change its view as there are very good reasons why the centre of Chesham is pedestrianised."

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