Totnesians are to be asked whether cars should be banned from the main street after a poll of traders in the town’s Narrows found the majority are in favour of pedestrianisation.
The survey, carried out by Devon County councillor Paula Black found that 76 per cent of 36 local shopkeepers (that’s 27.36 vendors, maths fans!) were in favour of either full or part pedestrianisation.
Devon Highways are known to be considering a change in the direction of traffic along the main thoroughfare, and this appears to have coincided with a shift of opinion on pedestrianisation.
The issue is now to be discussed by the town’s traffic and transport forum, prior to wider discussion, with one option a closure between 10am and 2pm, and another closing the road on market days.
• Should Totnes be pedestrianised? Comments below, please
Find out more about the Green’s Paula Black
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How does that even begin to work? A third of a shopkeeper agrees? His legs say yes, but the rest says no way!
It has always been a certain short-sighted and ignorant bunch of traders in the main street of Totnes that has violently opposed any improvement of the unsustainable situation in the main street. However, in addition to the real towns people, there is now emerging a group of intelligent and proper business people who can see the benefit of pedestrianisation and are in favour of it. They are keeping a low profile though, as some feel intimidated by the Mafia of ignorant stick-in-the-muds, who keep prattling about ‘community cohesion’, but don’t give a damn about the people of Totnes who are fed up to their back-teeth about the dangerous situation in the main street. It is high time that the County Council shows some spine and guts and carries through the long overdue improvement of pedestrianisation.
I am a trader on the High Street and I live in Totnes, no one asked me if I am in favour of pedestrianisation or not. My answer would have been no, for the simple reason I would go out of business. This view is shared by most of the traders on Fore Street and the High Street.