RENEWED talks of banning traffic from Colchester's High Street have divided opinions.

Colchester Council’s policy and public initiatives panel will be asked to recommend commissioning a study looking at the options for reducing traffic in the town centre.

It comes 18 months after the panel requested a review of pedestrianisation.

A scheme was put in place in 2013 banning traffic between 11am and 6pm although buses, taxis, motorbikes and cycles were allowed access.

This was suspended a month later due to public concerns.

A number of readers were sceptical a similar plan would work.

This is what you said on Facebook.

Kevin Starling: People should stop comparing Colchester with other towns. We have a town densely populating the top of a hill, there is no room for the traffic to go anywhere else. We have pedestrianised areas of the town why are people so desperate to pedestrianise the High Street. We do not have the open space that Chelmsford and other towns enjoy. So don't waste money on another survey it won't work what ever they try. Just make the most of what we have got.

Kim Parker Adcock: Getting through the town centre isn't a problem, but it should be. That reflects the lack of shoppers not a successful transport policy. If people can't drive into town and park easily and cheaply they are way more likely to shop out of town or online. If customer experience is poor the customer goes elsewhere!

Stephen Coe: NO ridiculous idea. Also allow cars back up north hill and to turn right into queen street lower cost of town centre parking or our town centre will suffer an economic death

Geoff Clark: Seemingly impossible solution as the town was never built to house so many cars etc. If traffic was banned, to what extent would it affect businesses in the town? I'm sure commuters can survive parking outside of town and walking, providing there's enough space. However, for convenience sake I get the feeling people will end up driving somewhere else that they can park (and shop). I guess the sensible and logical thing to do is to study other towns that have banned traffic and continued to thrive, interview shop owners, and then maybe run a trial period for it and gather the results.

Diana Turner: No as just add to congestion elsewhere. Get rid of bus lane so can turn right into Queen St again to help flow . Also what about disabled drivers/ blue badge parking if no traffic?

Rachael King: Restricting access in the high street all those years ago killed it ... the high street market used to bring in many shoppers.

Anna Gilbert: This would drive the final nail into the coffin that is Colchester town. Take a leaf from some of the successful towns and create on street parking, diagonal would work well on the High Street. Get rid of those empty, diesel belching buses from the town outside of peak hours. Create a hopper service from the stations and a park and ride on the west side of the town. The minute you alienate car users they will just travel to different shopping areas.

Val Aldous: Nobody is mentioning that very often it is the buses that hold up traffic in the High Street because the way the High Street is designed they have to wait for each other to stop at and leave bus stops, hardly room for them to manoeuvre. Thus traffic behind builds up and people think it is the amount of traffic! Generally it is not!! And yes, forget barring turning right at Queen Street...it is ridiculous and only causes further dangerous disruption down East Hill. The re-design of the High Street a while ago now, narrowing much of it, didn’t do any favours whatsoever.

Matthew Samuels: It is a good idea but unfortunately in practice it doesn’t work Colchester is full of bottle necks such as bottom of North Hill, the Hythe, Ipswich Road etc etc simple fact there is nowhere for the traffic to go you close down town then town is lovely and traffic free but the rest of Colchester just jams up even more in short it doesn’t work guys.

Carina Ioannou: The far end of Crouch Street is always busy with people popping in and out of the shops because there’s the facility to park for a short while. People need the ease of being able to drive in and shop for a few bits and then leave. Most people don’t have the time to spend hours in shops but still want the option of going if they need to. What the High St should trial is a drop and shop scheme. Park for 1 or 2 hours for free (no return so others can get a chance) and get your quick shop and go.

Perhaps instead of purchasing a parking ticket you prove you’re a shopper with a receipt for over £15. That way food delivery drivers and non shoppers are not allowed. Obviously just an idea but it works for that end of town.

Lynda Vincent: The same amount of moaning happened when Chelmsford became pedestrianised many years ago, and now everyone wants to shop there because it’s nicer!!!!

Iris Clapp: I really hope this happens - but, as ECC and CBC have been talking about this for decades, don't hold your breath. High Street traffic is just one of the reasons why our town centre isn't vibrant. High business rates and rents plus out-of-town shopping centres don't help either. And we need to sell the town centre far, far better.

Lisa Donnelly: A few years ago I would of said yes , but I don’t see the point of banning traffic now .. towns just not busy enough with pedestrians . You have relocated town to Stanway.

Jeannine McAndrew: Definitely not. Each time someone dreams up an unnecessary change like this it costs a fortune and leads to huge delays for residents. The money would be far better spent on planting more trees all over the town to improve air quality and make it more attractive for visitors. When you see old photos of how green and leafy Colchester once was it looks so much more inviting