FEATURE: How will pedestrianisation work? And what will it mean for Braintree town centre?

Shoppers have been quick to vent their frustration at the state of the cobbled paving which has become so uneven, to some it resembles more of an assault course than a town centre street.

But the horror stories of people tripping on paving and needing the help of paramedics should soon be a thing of the past when the pedestrianisation of the town is complete.

Council bosses are hosting another consultation before they will then look to finalise the plan to ban traffic from going up Market Place, Great Square and High Street.

The main part of the scheme will see workmen dig down as far as 2.5 feet to replace the now ruined pavement base and install a level surface across the town centre.

Planning is also under way to install more street furniture and provide a bigger public space which can host street markets and live entertainment.

The overall aim of the project will be to make the town centre more of a destination to visit and spend time, rather than a major attraction for shoppers.

“I think this is a timely but logical progression,” says Tom Cunningham, Braintree Council’s deputy leader and economic development boss.

“Go back to 2016 and the vibe in the town was Braintree is dying.

“We felt the town had a lot of critical challenges that needed to be addressed and it couldn’t just be the council that did it.

“It had to be the whole community, retailers and residents in trying to paint a new picture of what an old market town should look like and what it should be in the 21st century.”

Pedestrianisation of the high street has been considered before, but with little public support, it appeared nothing more than a pipe dream.

But a fresh approach to the scheme, which was launched by council bosses and the Braintree Town Partnership in 2018, has revitalised the concept and seen support grow.

A survey carried out on pedestrianisation in 2018 saw 76 per cent of respondents give their approval and pave the way for planning to begin.

Mr Cunningham said: “What we have seen is a real change in the attitude and optimism of Braintree town centre.

“The initiatives, which started with small events such as the street markets, have been a great success and it has painted a picture of what we can actually do on the High Street.

“The logical question was to ask if people wanted to have full pedestrianisation and reap the benefits of trying to increase footfall.

“Having asked the question, we had a really positive response so this is the next stage of us getting on with it.

“We need to get across that great switch of the town centre being that central hub for retail to actually becoming a place for leisure, spending time, eating, drinking, socialising and a place where people live.

“We really are blessed with a strong initial product in terms of the character of the high street and we can do so many things with it.

“It’s now a case of working with the public and finding out what they want to see done and improved.”

A new consultation is under way on the next phase of the scheme and closes on Thursday, February 6.

The council wants the project to be “community driven” and says it has already had hundreds of responses from the public.

Though final designs and plans will not be completed until March, council bosses say they will seek to install a bus lane in Fairfield Road – which is currently one-way – to allow buses, taxis and cyclists to travel in both directions.

They say that will help to solve the problem of buses not being able to travel through the town centre when the traffic ban is in place.

The key issue of deliveries is also being closely looked at, and one option would be to allow lorries access early in the morning or late in the evening.

Alternative options such as using service yards in the town more efficiently are also being considered.

Bosses say they are looking at giving greater prominence to back roads such as St Michael’s Lane and New Street to cater for people with mobility issues who will need to be given more choice in terms of parking and vehicle access.

Work on improving the roads and pavements is expected to take place in off-peak hours to avoid disruption and Mr Cunningham says there will be two engineering teams working on the scheme to ensure it is delivered as quickly as possible.

The new bus lane planned for Fairfield Road will be completed first to move buses out of the town centre and to enable the traffic ban to be enforced.

Braintree Council says signs will be installed to make drivers aware of the ban, and Google will also be instructed to update sat navs to ensure visitors to the town are diverted away from the pedestrian-only zone.

Workmen will then move on to Market Square, Great Square and finally High Street. Bosses are near certain the scheme will be completed before spring next year.

They are still waiting to see if a £1 million funding bid to the Department of Transport is successful, but have already pledged £750,000 towards the scheme – a figure which has been matched by Essex County Council.

Mr Cunningham said: “We understand there are some concerns among some people about pedestrianisation.

“You are never going to find a perfect solution for every eventuality. But every possible mitigation that can be explored will be explored to address retailer or residents’ concerns.

“We aren’t waiting for them to come to us, we are actively going out and speaking with these people to work with them.

“We are conscious we are going to be seeing considerable change.

“There are major projects taking place so that is obviously going to impact on residents.

“We have to greet that with great sensitivity. We will look to keep that disruption down to a minimum.”

Mr Cunningham added: “The overall aim with this will be to create a more prosperous Braintree that is an attractive place to spend time, socialise, spend money and help ensure Braintree is a better place for residents to live as well.

“You will have a Braintree town centre that is set up to meet the challenges and needs of the third decade of the 21st century.”

To have your say on what you would like see done to the town centre as part of the pedestrianisation scheme, visit braintree.gov.uk/ yourtown.

Drop-in events are also being held at Kaspas in High Street on Saturday, February 1, and Wednesday, February 5, between 10am and 3pm.