Major change planned for Northampton’s town centre roads
Peter Lumbis, owner of Crop Shop barbers in Bridge Street, his business has been affected by the new traffic regulations after the fire at Fat Cats.
SHOPKEEPERS have labelled plans to cut one of the main roads into Northampton town centre down to a single carriageway ‘barmy’.
As part of plans to build a new bus station on the site of the Fishmarket, Northamptonshire County Council has revealed new plans for road alterations around the town centre.
The scheme would see the middle of Bridge Street narrowed to a single lane. Buses would be allowed to travel both up and down the street, but cars would only be allowed to go down hill, meaning they would have to give way half way down the street to buses coming up the road.
Other changes would also see the road outside the Guildhall opened up to cars and Gold Street re-opened to traffic.
The council’s cabinet member for infrastructure, Councillor Andre Gonzalez de Savage (Con, East Hunsbury) said: “There’s a great deal planned for the town centre over the next few years so it’s important we get the traffic flows right to make sure everything works together.
“What we’re proposing will be of a very high design quality and will greatly enhance the appearance of the town, fitting in with the marvellous historic buildings in the area.”
As well as the changes to the roads, pavements would also be widened along Bridge Street and at the entrance to The Drapery, close to McDonald’s.
The plans were revealed by the county council yesterday, but some shopkeepers have already expressed concern that the new road layouts may not work.
Peter Lumbis runs the Crop Shop hairdressers in Bridge Street. He said: “There’s no reason to have a wider pavement in Bridge Street or to take the road down to just one lane.
“We don’t get enough people down the street to need the pavement widening. The whole plan just seems barmy to me, especially as they’re re-opening Gold Street to traffic so soon after spending all that money to stop cars from using it.”
The plans are on show at County Hall in George Row in the centre of Northampton until February 10.
Alternatively, click Road Plans to see them.
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Gold Street to be re-opened two years after closure
JUST over two years after motorists were banned from driving along Gold Street towards Northampton town centre, new plans have been revealed to open up the street again.
In August 2009, a six-month, £6 million redevelopment of Gold Street was completed.
The work saw narrow pavements along the street widened and all vehicles, apart from buses, taxis and delivery vehicles vans, banned from using the street.
But under new plans revealed by Northamptonshire County Council yesterday, cars could soon be allowed to travel along Gold Street again.
One of the most outspoken people against the 2009 alterations was Gold Street cafe owner, Albert Sgoluppi. Despite the plans meaning traffic would pass his business again, he said the change would be “useless” as the previous works had got rid of all the parking spaces in the street.
He said: “I’m speechless at the stupidity of it all. People can’t stop in Gold Street now, so it won’t help us at all.
“A lot of people will use it as a short-cut, but there will be no benefit to Gold Street at all because there is nowhere for anybody to park.
“They should have left it as it was before spending all that money on it in the first place.”
Under the plans, all the traffic using Gold Street would have to travel one way towards All Saints Church from Marefair.
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Comments
There are 40 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
ForGodsSakeStopBeingSoMiserable
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 12:29 PM#33, JACKSON. Interesting that as you berate the newspaper for spelling mistakes, you demonstrate how easy it is to make one in your own post. 'Spelling' has two 'l's', like in 'Troll'. I fully expect you to claim it was deliberate, as you have replicated the error made by the journalist (Hronicle and Cho) to hilarious effect but you would be fooling no-one but yourself.
20SOMETHING
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:51 PMBridge street for as long as I can remember has always been the main access road from the south of the town into the center and I am surprised just how quickly the council has decided to put up no entry signs except for buses at the entrance to it. Could this possibly be anything to do with fines which would now be incurred if you ventured into Bridge street from the south? One always gets the feeling from the council that cars are not welcome here unless we can fine you, and many people over the years have received enormous fines just for overstaying on a meter for a couple of minutes. I myself had this and it made me stop coming into town for a number of years due to the annoyance. With petrol as expensive as it is making a one mile detour to be able to get to the top of Bridge street from the south is to my mind a good enough reason not to come to Northampton.
fxtown
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:25 PMI've been trying to make sense of the story, the reasons given, and the comments.Maybe the paper should dig a bit more.Here's my take: Knocking down the bus station and demolishing the fish market will close roads.One assumes this will be fishmarket and new interchange built first and then later the bus station. Assuming this to be true- that the interchange is lovely and wins every design prize going, then what of the old bus station? If they do knock it down now it could be ten years before any or even if any development goes ahead. So wayne, please could you ask the nice mr de souza, will the flattened bus shelter be a worse abomination of flattened bricks for the next decade, or does he (mr de souza) have a cunning plan?
hothandsharris
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 05:00 PM@ Moody Blue. Gridlock in the town centre. Then they can charge a congestion tax like London. Nail on head, it all makes sense.
Northampton Exile
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:50 PMPotentially it could work, although the benefit analysis of cost v reward is questionable. Equally it could be a disaster, anyone who has sampled the one way system of Dartford will testify what a disaster it can be! I avoid going into Dartford at all costs, although to be honest Northampton has alot more going for it, and I hope that whatever the council decides has minimal impact on the business in town.
moodyblue
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:44 PMOk - so you look at the plans - seem ok - BUT if you look carefully you have 2 roads taking traffic into the all saints area (Gold Street and St Giles Square) - and one restricted exit (Bridge Street) - and if there is a queue at the bottom of Bridge Street, that will block the busestaxis going up Bridge Street through the pinch point then we get grid lock - but I suppose that is the norm these days with this town. Really well thought out again - just like the new bus station.
brianm
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:10 PMWhy go into Norhampton? I go there three or four times a year. They say that they want to rejuvinate the centre; restrictive parking, excessive parking charges, over zealous parking tax collectors. Why not go where there are no parking charges?
Removed by moderator
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:09 PM"HOPKEEPERS have labelled plans to cut one of the main roads into Northampton town centre down to a single carriageway âbarmyâ." Not like the hronicle and cho to make speling mistakes is it?
vokey
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:05 AMnever one to normally support anything the councils do, however 20 something, kingsthorpe is massively inproved (for now) Agree with others about Bridge Street,if i go into to town ever , i park up there, so wont bother with town in future
lady muck
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 11:32 PMClever Dick...wish I'd known you were there...at the exact same moment I was looking at the plans in County Hall. If I'm wrong, I apologise.
20SOMETHING
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 10:39 PMClosing Bridge Street to incoming vehicles will only make it more difficult to drive into the town center and will also loose a number of useful roadside parking spaces. Whoever is in charge of the roads should be dismissed, as they have not got a clue how to keep traffic flowing and instead seem to be more concerned with traffic lights at every opportunity. The Gas works roundabout has been ruined with a vengeance after an abundance of traffic lights which cost a fortune to instal and maintain but which have caused more traffic jams. Kingsthorpe major roadworks twice without any noticeable improvement to traffic flow and Far Cotton major roadworks again with no noticeable difference except new traffic lights. Why?
Chrispy1
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 07:41 PMI wouldn't worry, if NBC are involved, it'll never get past the Pretty Picture stage.
Clever Dick
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 06:34 PMOK nuff said. But I can assure you you can drive down Marefair perfectly legally. Turn left from St Andrew's Road or right from St. Peter's Way.
WayneB
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 06:11 PMFrom memory, I don't think you should be driving down Mairfair either - isn't that buses only? Anyway, I think we'll leave it at that before we bore everybody! All the best, Wayne.
Clever Dick
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 04:10 PMI've plenty of time. They ARE parking bays. Disabled Parking Bays. Yes you can't turn left into Gold Street from Horsemarket. Quite agree. Equally you can't turn right going from the other direction. That just means that you can't make the turn. From Marefair YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT ON. Albeit for loading. What does that mean? Open to anyone. Back to your (faulty) typewriter.
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