Verbal update from Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, on the Emergency Active Travel Fund Scheme temporarily closing Totnes Fore Street /High Street on Saturday mornings to traffic to allow for social distancing of shoppers and visitors (since July 2020).
(Electoral Division: Totnes)
Minutes:
The Committee received a verbal update from the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste appraising Members of the current situation, summarised as follows:-
In May 2020 the Government published new statutory guidance for highway authorities regarding the urgent need to reallocate road space towards pedestrians, cyclists and ‘active travel’ in relation to social distancing for the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a part of this initiative Totnes Town Council requested a road closure, covering Fore Street and High Street in the town on Saturday mornings only, between 9am and 1pm for 12 weeks from 20 June to 12 September 2020.
An extension was requested and granted until the 10 October, following the completion of an Impact Assessment. The eastern end of the road closure was moved from the junction with The Plains and Coronation Road to the junction with Station Road, so that the lower end of Fore Street was now excluded.
A further extension was then requested and granted until the 5 December. A key factor in this decision to grant the extension was the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases.
On 2 November the Town Council agreed that the Saturday closures did not need to continue during lockdown and that the situation would be reviewed at the full Town Council meeting on 7 December.
Prior to the formal submission of the request from the Town Council there was some debate in the town regarding the extent of the road closure. Some Councillors had been looking to close the road every morning through the week, but the Chamber of Commerce and STAG (the Sustainable Totnes Action Group) complained that this would have an adverse effect on local businesses. At that time there was a high level of demand for schemes from Town and Parish Councils and Devon County Council made it clear that they could only support measures that had broad community support. In negotiations with the Town Council It was agreed that the Chamber of Commerce and STAG would not object to the proposal if it was only on Saturday mornings and if it was restricted to an initial 12-week period. Both the Chamber of Commerce and STAG have since objected to further closures beyond that period.
Officers had received a large volume of correspondence both in support and against the temporary road closure, with more favouring support.
This proposal was not unique to Totnes, other towns have also put measures in place as a part of the Government initiative.
Comments from the local district councillor Councillor Sweett, had been received on 6 November and were reported verbally, summarised as follows:-
-success meant that streets were very crowded with people enjoying the experience but little social distancing or actual shopping was taking place;
-through the summer visitor season there were many times throughout the week when the town was much quieter and social distancing for the vulnerable was much easier to maintain;
-the reason for these measures until 8 December was questioned as the weather had deteriorated and the tourists gone home;
-shops and market stalls complained that the road closure annihilated early trade, with trade negligible until better weather and the road opened;
- over 40 letters against the road closure and 1 in favour were received by the town council. Whilst car free mornings were pleasant, enjoyable and had a party/festival atmosphere the vast majority of the independent essential type businesses reported substantial losses. Continued road closures through winter was not sustainable and job/income losses must not be a result of a more pleasant visitor experience. Christmas shopping in poor weather was more focused than a summer time social;
-whilst appreciating the town council’s desire to seek opinion via a wider survey, it was the town centre shops who were paying overheads;
-shared space initiatives as temporary social distancing measures would reduce cut through traffic thus improving shopping for all at all times;
-Totnes’ unique success was due to the varied balance of every day and seasonal tourist shops.
The local County Councillor reported on the large number of representations she had received both for and against the measures and thanked Officers for their support to her and the town council. Her observation of these measures had not indicated that social distancing was more greatly compromised and gave some people more confidence to visit and shop in Totnes when they would not otherwise. The aim of the town council survey was to enable a better informed decision on any extension that may be made, taking into account the needs of the community and working with local businesses.
Members in noting the update, commented that the pandemic had seen a change in how the public shopped, with the experience of shopping and visiting Totnes to be considered alongside the effect of any measures on Totnes businesses and shops whose viability was important.