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Town Council Backs A5 Improvements
| Author: Lizzi Bucklow-Holt Assistant to the Town Clerk | Published: 29th September 2022 14:08 |
Town Council Backs A5 Improvements
Towcester Town Council has voted overwhelmingly to support Option A of National Highways proposals for deterring heavy traffic from the town centre and making the town more pedestrian-friendly.
After many years of local people calling for an end to heavy traffic that blights Towcester's historic town centre, the Town Council believes there's now the real prospect for action and change.
The Town Mayor, Cllr Martin Johns, commented, "National Highways has listened to what Towcester residents have asked for and set out realistic plans to meet expectations. National Highways proposals for keeping HGVs out of our town centre and diverting them onto the A5/A43 link road will do just that. All the key elements: a 20mph speed limit, a 7.5-tonne weight limit, improved pavements, cycleways and more pedestrian crossings, are now on offer."
Option A includes removing car parking spaces from the Market Square, apart from spaces for the disabled. Removing parked cars will mean that the Market Square area will return to the heart of Towcester. Public events can be held in safety and overall, pedestrians will be able to enjoy the town centre once more, bringing more trade to the town.
Option C, which offered an out-of-town park and ride scheme, was considered unrealistic. In place of this, the Town Council is calling on National Highways to provide a frequent electric shuttle bus service to serve the town's estates and possibly nearby villages too.
Details still have to be worked through on these proposals and finally agreed upon. The heritage aspects of the town centre must be considered and protected, loading bays provided, and much better signage directing motorists to car parks, ideally using real-time displays. With this in place, and a much more pedestrian-friendly high street, the Town Council believes many more visitors, as well as residents, would use the town centre and everything it offers.
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