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Pedestrians to be put first in radical revamp of high street

7:50am Wednesday 23rd September 2009 in


A VISION of how Colchester’s High Street could look has been unveiled.

It includes a partly-pedestrianised High Street, public squares, illuminated landmark buildings, and no railings or traffic lights.

The blueprints have been drawn up by Colchester Council and expert lighting firm Sutton Vane Associates, which was commissioned to look at how the town centre could be improved.

It is not known how much it would cost to implement all the proposals, but the creative lighting scheme alone would cost an estimated £600,000.

The council has £150,000 to spend on improvements in 2009/10.

See Wednesday's Gazette for two-page special

Comments(18)

The REAL Norm says...
8:50am Wed 23 Sep 09

I like the see through translucent bus - not sure how practical that is though. The council need to grow some balls and make some decisions themselves, instead of wasting taxpayers' cash on pointless reports and consultant fees from dubious third party firms. This looks like some work experience kid has been playing around with the effects on PhotoShop to be honest.

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ICareCol says...
9:10am Wed 23 Sep 09

High Street should have been closed to most traffic years ago!
Make it a pedestrian area and entrepreneurs will soon use the space to entertain people (so no bl**dy consultants needed!!)

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Solaris says...
9:49am Wed 23 Sep 09

Its about time the High Street was completely pedestrianised like the High Street in Chelmsford.

In the meantime local taxpayers will have to cough up again for another gimmicky, half-baked idea.

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holymoly! says...
10:21am Wed 23 Sep 09

I cannot see any reason at all for vehicles using the High Street, with the exception of buses perhaps. How many of the vehicles that use it today could have easily gone via another route?

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hughie-s says...
10:37am Wed 23 Sep 09

holymoly! wrote:
I cannot see any reason at all for vehicles using the High Street, with the exception of buses perhaps. How many of the vehicles that use it today could have easily gone via another route?
Ban right turn Head Street into High Street and High Street into Queen Street for a trial period and we would soon see.

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Sdapeze says...
11:10am Wed 23 Sep 09

How can you have a 'partly-pedestrianis
ed' High Street? It either is pedestrianised or it isn't. We don't need any traffic in the High Street - not even buses. Taxis and buses can easily use Head Street and Queen Street and cars can easily be banned from the whole of the historic centre (ie within the walls). And just how far will £150k go? This has to be a joke.

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shatner's bassoon says...
11:30am Wed 23 Sep 09

Definitely need more of those ectoplasmic buses, why don't we have these already?

I blame Bob Russell MP.

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Scoot says...
12:31pm Wed 23 Sep 09

Brilliant idea ! A lot more space for people to knock seven bells out of each other on a Friday and Saturday night.


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Ontheball says...
1:47pm Wed 23 Sep 09

Why not reverse the one-way system so that all traffic coming up North Hill goes into Head Street and then down Butt Road on to Southway, or left into St Johns Street, Osborne St and Queen St and back into East Hill. Could then do away with all traffic in the High St.

Possibloy revert the section from St Johns St to the High St/East Hill junction back to two-way traffic.

Just a thought.

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holymoly! says...
2:03pm Wed 23 Sep 09

How do busses from Head Street get to the bus station if no vehicles are allowed, without a massive de-tour?

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crosby says...
2:15pm Wed 23 Sep 09

They don't because the bus station won't be there will it!

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Colchester Citizen says...
5:55pm Wed 23 Sep 09

Colchester Councill and all the councillors have a credibility problem.

The unwanted VAF and it's £25 million pound cost has destroyed any faith in the present bunch of councillors - irrespective of what party they represent.

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meadowlady says...
11:46pm Wed 23 Sep 09

My head is spinning, leave it all alone. I will just stay in.

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julieee says...
10:53am Thu 24 Sep 09

did they suggest cleaning it as well?

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Colin Henshaw says...
12:52pm Thu 24 Sep 09

Illuminating buildings just because they look pleasing to a few ignorant planners and town councillors is totally unacceptable in the current climate of concern about energy wastage, climate change and global warming. They should read the council's own concerns about this issue on their own web-site. These people obviously couldn't care less about the environment, and irrespective of their political complexion, should be tossed out of office at the next local government elections. The only people who will benefit are the owners of lighting company who will be laughing all the way to the bank at the tax payers' expense

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Ernold Same says...
2:28pm Thu 24 Sep 09

After the mess they made of the bus station, the council should think twice before coming out with any more half-baked ideas like this one.

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amyfleur says...
12:25am Fri 25 Sep 09

Oh here we go again! HOW many times has the high street been dug up in recent years?

Why do they want more lighting? There's talk of switching off street lighting in the villages to save money, pollution etc. Can't they make their minds up.

Try resurfacing the roads around Highwoods if there is so much money to use up. And do it properly so it lasts.

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Feisty CBC says...
11:27am Fri 25 Sep 09

The picture to accompany this article depicts perfectly what Colchester has become.....a ghost town.

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