I SEE once again our council is considering pedestrianising the High Street. Why do our local councillors persist in trying things again and again that have previously failed?

Nothing has changed, infrastructure-wise, to suggest a different result could be found this time.

Pedestrianising the High Street was tried some years ago and doomed to failure for many various reasons, including restrictive parking for the disabled and the drop off in trade announced by the shopkeepers.

If trade dropped off, because of limiting traffic access to the High Street, what is the thinking behind it boosting trade this time round?

One of my major concerns is traffic travelling from west to east.

Once we return to normal and traffic numbers build up again, where will this traffic go that cannot traverse the High Street?

Previously it had to use Cowdray Avenue or Magdalen Street, which were already congested. At this current time it appears Cowdray Avenue is out of the question due to the constant closures of the southern parts of Ipswich Road and Harwich Road.

If this traffic is forced to use Magdalen Street then this will result in extra congestion and pollution.

One reason the council give for pedestrianising the High Street is that it will reduce pollution and lead to cleaner air.

Yes possibly in the High Street, but not in other areas. All the council are doing is shifting the pollution to another part of town, albeit a part that already suffers from poor air quality.

Other towns such as Chelmsford and Ipswich, which have pedestrianised shopping centres, have invested in the infrastructure to accommodate this.

Colchester has not and our council should, therefore, not even be thinking of this unless they are ready to accept the displacement of gridlocked traffic to other areas.

If shoppers cannot be dropped off and collected from the High Street then their pleasure of being able to shop in Colchester will be denied them and they will take their custom elsewhere.

Another consideration is where are the shoppers’ main routes?

I see far more pedestrians in the two town centre shopping precincts (which are already pedestrianised) and Sir Isaac’s Walk than in the High Street.

Why is this? Because that is where the town centre shops are.

So close the High Street to traffic by all means, but be prepared for some serious traffic problems and poorer air quality which will ultimately lead to far fewer shoppers being prepared to visit Colchester and its shops.

Philip Webb, Rosebery Avenue, Colchester