Coming back from a visit to Carlisle and walking down the High Street in Colchester, I could have wept.

Up there, in the so-called depressed North, I found a buzzing town, full of people shopping, or sitting on the numerous benches under the trees chatting to each other, safe from traffic and pollution.

Their main street is fully pedestrianised from the railway station to the castle, taking in the lovely shops, the cathedral and the museums.

I noticed only one empty shop and three charity shops.

So, where are the trees in our High Street, the benches, the flowers?

How nice to sit and be poisoned by the traffic fumes!

I was told the tourist office has to promote the culture here.

We are lucky to have a tremendous historical heritage, but the tourists cannot see it as it so badly advertised.

In France, if they have a few ruined remains, they make a sound and light show out of them, to attract the tourists.

Why can’t we light the Roman wall and improve the signs?

A partly pedestrianised High Street is a half-baked idea. Let’s be bold and get rid of all the traffic, including Buses and taxis and put the market back there and the shoppers will come back in droves and boost the economy.

After all, every town you can think of has done it – Ipswich, Chelmsford, Reading, Northampton, etc.

Sadly, we are stuck with the Vaf and the awful design of the new courthouse, but we, as a town, must move forward and try Cycling in town is a dismal ride to be more creative.

Jacqueline Martin
Sawkins Close
Langenhoe

...With the latest Colchester High Street nighttime plans, did officers forget to tell the artist all the buses are supposed to be on the High Street?

Or is the artist’s impression of people sauntering in the empty road correct?

It is time Colchester Council and its officers got serious about climate change. Friends of the Earth is calling for councils to commit to a 40 per cent cut by 2020.

We must support public transport. We need our town centre bus and coach station far more than a Vaf or a hotel or more flats.

We already have a pedestrianised town centre.

Buses running across our town need to use the High Street. Passengers need to be dropped close to the shops. Traders should value their custom, especially the thousands going to and from the bus station.

Park and ride is not the answer. We need to encourage more people to catch real buses into town which are already running close to most people’s homes.

Park and ride costs the taxpayer huge sums and encourages car use. It cut real bus use in Chelmsford.

Inner zone bus passes cost £15 weekly or £52.50 monthly and give people unlimited bus use for the services around the main town, including Wivenhoe.

Not bad compared to car fuel, parking costs and traffic congestion.

Paula Whitney
Colchester co-ordinator
Friends of the Earth
Shears Crescent