Totnes reviewing Saturday traffic block

Opinions divided

Councillors are to investigate how effective it's been to close Totnes Fore Street and High Street on Saturday mornings to traffic.

The traffic restrictions between 9am-1pm were brought in as a temporary measure back in June to help aid with social distancing guidelines. It allows more room for pedestrians to move around without having to avoid vehicles and crowds on narrow pavements.

But opinions about the closure have been mixed, with the South Hams Highways and Traffic Orders Committee hearing that while some were massively in favour of the scheme, others felt that it was ‘ruinous’ for the town.

The trial has been halted as a result of the second lockdown forcing the closure of all non-essential retail, with no further decisions to be taken until December’s full Totnes town council meeting. By then the council will have an interim report from a Independent survey.

Initial results suggest that around 47 per cent of respondents support the road closures, with 43 per cent against. But while 60 per cent of residents and 73 per cent of visitors supported the measures, 97 per cent of businesses objected.

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, who represents the Totnes and Dartington ward on Devon County Council and who is also the mayor of Totnes, said that the issue had been ‘unbelievable contentious’ and a downside of it was the a sheer volume of corresponded sent in on this, some of which was ‘quite aggressive’.

She said: “The view on the street is that on the Saturday mornings is that people have said that they welcome it, but a survey has been commissioned on the town council website so we can ideally make a much more informed decision in December and while that may only be an interim report, the town council feels that they need to understand the overall position and the impacts, both positive and negative.

“While some business say they are in favour, others say it is ruinous, so the survey gives us a better position on this. We need to work with the businesses to make it more of a destination.”

But Cllr Jo Sweett, who runs a business on the High Street, said that job and income losses must not be the result of the more pleasant visitor experience. She said: “The Saturday mornings became a victim of their own success. There were lots of people visiting but little social distancing or shopping actually taking place, and the road closures annihilated trade.

“Car free mornings are pleasant and there was a festival atmosphere, but with the vast majority of the independent businesses reporting substantial losses, the continuation of road closure through the winter months is not sustainable and job and income losses must not be the result of a more pleasant visitor experience."

Meanwhile, Cllr Helen Reeve said: “Business and shops have gone through a hell of a lot and they don’t need the extra niggle, it is wearing them down and we have to listen to them. They know if it is affecting their business and we have to take that into account.”

Cllr Julian Brazil said he would like to see Fore Street and High Street pedestrianised seven days a week, between 11-6. He said: “I think that’s the way forward. Retail needs to change as people go shopping if it’s a destination, not to buy things. “There were people displaying goods on the pavements, children running around, no vehicles, and all those things are massively positive and it is very disappointing that a vociferous and in my view minority of people think it is a terrible idea.”

Neighbourhood highways manager John Fewings said that Devon County Council have been inundated with letters both for and against the closure, although the majority were against, but that while the closure was for four hours, ‘people have the rest of the week to shop’.