Wednesday April 15th 2015 – Meeting of the Property and Grounds Committee at the Town Council
I suspect that more of the public attended this meeting than usual – the reason – item 12 on the Agenda was about pedestrianising the Saturday High Street market and moving Merediths Yard to the High Street. Chairman Gittens was asked how many people asked for this to be put on the agenda – he didn’t know exactly and wouldnt’t name them because of Data protection. A member of the public asked that if a few letters came in asking for a helipad in the High Street would this be put on the agenda ? Quite!!! And I had a list of named Shopkeepers in the town that quite definitely didn’t want the High Street closed
Once again the question of shutting the High Street on Saturdays rears its ugly head. Shopkeepers and market traders spoke of the importance of having the ability of deliveries and pickups on Saturdays. Beaman said that when the High Street was made one way he lost 40% of trade . Bromley said if his customers couldn’t pick up from his stall he might as well give up Others spoke in the same vein. At the meeting only the chap from Gadsby’s wanted the High Street closed to traffic on Saturdays .
As far as Merediths Yard Market was concerned – Beaman and Deighton both said that the owner of the Meredith’s Yard market had no intention of moving it to the High Street. And …. He hadn’t been consulted!!!
After the lengthy discussion the public weren’t allowed to speak and a vote taken. The amendment from Cllr Cottrell to shelve the whole thing was ignored and the Cllrs obviously didn’t listen to the main feeling of the meeting . Talk about sitting on the fence – the councillors voted to take the possibility of closing the High Street on Saturdays to the main council . To have some kind of referendum – which will cost the town mega bucks ( which they can’t afford).
The best thing we can do is to go to the Town Council meeting at the Castle Hall next Wednesday April 22nd and talk about it. I am against closing the High Street on Saturdays
