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More on KentOnline
Cars will be banned from driving through a town's high street on the busiest day of the week, it has been confirmed.
Deal Town Council (DTC) has voted unanimously for Dover District Council and Kent County Council to close its High Street to traffic between Stanhope Road and Union Road between 10am and 2pm, on Saturdays.
The Covid-19 measure will come into play this Saturday (August 15) and continue for 10 weeks.
Shop owners in the affected areas received letters yesterday. Homes in the High Street, and the High Street ends of Oak Street and St George’s Road, have also been notified.
It comes after councillors discussed issues around social distancing in the High Street - which was named High Street of the Year by the Daily Telegraph in 2013 - at a recent full council meeting.
Their concerns included difficulty queueing on the narrow pavements, on-street parking creating pavement pinch points and pedestrians having to step into the road.
The new move is being seen as a solution to protect shoppers at a peak time, whilst minimising the impact on those shops and residents that need vehicle access.
It is also based on knowledge gathered by DTC through the Pedestrianisation Consultation conducted earlier this year, which indicated removal of cars from the High Street, even for a brief period on a Saturday, as well as enabling people to social distance, will encourage people to visit and spend more.
Traffic flow will be maintained between West Street and Beach Street, along King Street, High Street and Stanhope Road, although drivers are being asked to be aware there may be pedestrians in the road along the High Street and to be patient.
The only exceptions to the new rule will be emergency vehicles and the scheduled bus service - currently a single bus at 12.20pm.
Cllr Sue Beer said: "It’s important that we use the resources made available to the district to help our High Street to recover and reassure shoppers that it is safe to visit. This targeted action is aimed at mitigating the social distancing issues at the busiest time of the week on the High Street.”
The Mayor of Deal, Cllr Eileen Rowbotham added: “Our High Street, with its variety of independent traders, is a real asset and critical to the future of the entire area.
"The Town Council can help a little, but the High Street’s future depends on local people spending in local shops.”
The measure has been made possible thanks to the funds obtained by Dover District Council from the Government’s Recovering High Streets Safely Fund.
Elsewhere in Kent, a ban on traffic in town centres in Swale has proved controversial, with traders saying it has harmed their business.
In Sheerness, Swale council had to remind drivers it was an offence to move barriers after some flouted the rules.
