Mixed reaction to closure plan
Initial reactions to a permanent closure of Nelson’s upper Trafalgar St have been a mix of enthused and concerned.
During a Nelson City Council hearing on the submissions, Nelson Arts Festival director Charlie Unwin suggested that during the planning for the closure, the council take the opportunity to dedicate space to arts performances.
‘‘I’ve been with the festival for nine years now, and every year we’ve been told to bring events into the CBD. During the night that works, but during the day it doesn’t – we take up space on the footpath because there’s no other space, we clash with businesses.
‘‘I propose not only that upper Trafalgar St is closed, but that a dedicated arts space be established.’’
Unwin said the space could have council-curated performances in the weekends in particular, and otherwise used for public space.
‘‘During my time as arts festival director, I’ve travelled around the world to different towns and cities, and every one of those towns and cities has a dedicated pedestrian area with arts space.’’
Nelson Buskers Festival producer Giles Burton took with a similar approach, suggesting the council ‘‘reserve’’ the area for a number of days per year to put on arts performances.
He also said the council needed to plan carefully to make sure the space was truly a public one, rather than simply expanding businesses further into public space.
‘‘The emphasis is so much on businesses and expanding into the street. There’s actually quite a small amount of space there to work with,’’ he said.
‘‘We talk about it being a pedestrianised zone, but it’s not, really. It’s more licensed areas with a narrow strip down the middle.’’
Burton said that if the area was permanently closed to traffic, the council could get rid of the footpath areas on either side of the street, pushing restaurant and cafe tables closer to the edges and encouraging pedestrians into the middle of the road.
However, not every submitter was keen on the closure.
Nelsonian Dai Mitchell said he wasn’t opposed to a permanent road closure in general, but other streets should be assessed over Trafalgar St.
‘‘I think Church St is a good one. It’s less used, and there’s fewer businesses focused on alcohol.’’
He said he was concerned that there was too much of a focus on alcohol-based businesses on upper Trafalgar St, which could turn the area into a magnet for drunken behaviour.
Local businessman Barry Thompson expressed similar concerns in his submission. ‘‘If you close off Trafalgar St, it’ll just become a rotting social area for boozers,’’ he said.
He also said the closure would be a killing blow for the centre city in general.
‘‘I’ve heard complaints from all retailers around my area that when Trafalgar St was closed, it has affected their businesses significantly, up to a 30 per cent drop in turnover. ‘‘The inner city is dying.’’
The potential closure of the street has been granted a provisional budget of $250,000. The proposal went out for public consultation in June.
If, after taking all the submissions into account, the council decides to go ahead, the road would close to vehicles from October 18, to coincide with the Nelson Arts Festival.
‘‘I propose . . . that a dedicated arts space be established.’’
Nelson Arts Festival director Charlie Unwin