The people of Brentwood have delivered a resounding NO to the part pedestrianisation of the High Street.

Initial results from the public consultation exercise indicate that two-thirds of the public who completed the official questionnaire do not want the middle section between Crown Street and St Thomas Road closed to traffic between the hours of 10am and 4pm.

The findings have emerged ahead of the official report and are being described as 'raw data'. Council chiefs have stressed a detailed analysis of the responses still needs to be done.

Campaigners from the Save Brentwood Action Group say the results support SBAG's own survey among local residents to leave the High Street alone but end rat runs and calm traffic in residential roads.

Back in February several thousand residents, business people and town centre workers visited a five day exhibition at the Chapel High ruins on the future of the High Street.

On display were the two options selected from schemes put forward by traffic consultants Mouchel. The company was appointed by the highways authority, Essex County Council, in 2001 to identify possible solutions to traffic problems plaguing the town.

Option 1 proposes various traffic calming measures while Option 2 suggests timed closure of the central section. Both schemes will divert more traffic to William Hunter Way and there are also suggestions for junction improvements.

The Brentwood Gazette has discovered that 3,200 consultations questionnaires were handed out and 1,650 have been returned.

Traffic calming Option 1 - with a High Street designed to limit speeds to 20mph - was backed by 49 per cent of those who responded. Another 12 per cent of the public stated they wanted 'no change'.

Option 2 with its central timed pedestrianised section and one-way loops at the eastern and western ends of the High Street was favoured by 31 per cent.

A further eight per cent of responses fell into a 'not sure/didn't answer category'.

Within the last week or so, another 50 completed consultation questionnaires have been received by Mouchel but it is understood the late arrivals do not alter the basic statistics.

The raw results show that a total of 61 per cent or two-thirds of the people who completed the form want either traffic calming or no change and NOT part pedestrianisation. One-third or 31 per cent went for Option 2.

But statistics can be interpreted in different ways and likewise it could be argued that 80 per cent of respondents who voted yes to Option 1 or Option 2 are saying they want council chiefs to take action and tackle the High Street.

Brentwood Borough Council deputy chief executive Dave Marchant said: "This is absolutely raw data. There is a whole series of analysis that needs to be done. It is too simple to look at the big picture, ticks for Option 1 and ticks for Option 2 and jump to a conclusion that it must be the favourite one. It may be, but at this stage you couldn't say so because the data is so raw."

Mr Marchant said the analysis would look at the responses of people in relation to their postcode addresses and whether they had any special interests perhaps either as motorists or bus passengers.

The full consultation report is due to be published by the middle of this month.

Brentwood Borough Council is set to make its recommendation at full council on May 5 and the final decision is due to be taken by the highways authority, Essex County Council in May-June.

SBAG secretary Gerry Bender said: "SBAG recognise that statistical information can be interpreted in a variety of different ways depending on what you want to achieve. The raw information does not differentiate responses by where people live.

"SBAG is aware that the responses of approximately 1,700 people only reflects the questions asked. It is our contention that the expensive consultation process was flawed and biased towards Option 2. It did not offer a No Change option even though many people voted for it.

Published Thursday April 8, 2004

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