Never mind the bollards, town wants better ways to enforce social distancing
ASHBOURNE’S town centre social distancing measures are not measuring up, says the town’s mayor, who is calling on the county council for urgent improvements.
Traffic bollards which have been laid out around the town to widen pavements and help people to observe the two-metre rule as they walk to shops are being tossed into the river and are not heavy enough to prevent them being carelessly moved.
Speaking at last week’s meeting of the full town council, Sean Clayton called for a review of the bollard system, which was brought in by Derbyshire County Council in May in response to the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.
He said: “I put this on the agenda because a couple of weeks ago we had to fish a lot of the bollards from the river. And I understand they’re back in there now.
“It was primarily the traffic bollards I was considering; the social distancing measures on the footpaths. I don’t feel they’re weighty enough, or the correct things.
“If we’re going to have them for another six or eight months, I don’t think they’re the right bollards.
“They did say they were temporary and they were going to improve the area.”
Ashbourne became one of the first towns in the country to see new measures installed in shopping streets, and they were introduced in tandem with a new one-way system in Compton and Dig Street, along with increased parking for
Compton. At the time of its installation, county council bosses said the water-filled bollards would start as a temporary measure, with the entire system under constant review, and that the bollards might eventually replaced with more attractive planters.
But councillors were quick to criticise the current measures during their virtual meeting last week, held over the video conferencing platform Zoom.
Councillor Cooper said the measures were an “accident waiting to happen” as pedestrians were emerging from various points along the widened pavements to cross the road.
She reiterated calls for a pedestrian crossing at Lloyds Bank and at Sainsbury’s, particularly to help disabled users.
Councillor Bob Pugh said: “St John Street is the worst one for the big water-butts being moved.
“When I was able to go to Leicester I saw they had a narrow street there which is two-way and they’ve got bollards there which are screwed into the ground, which might get rid of people chucking them into the river.
“St John Street has been a real pain and yet again this town council is having to repeat what it has said before about road closure signs.
“I know when we started this off we were invited to send in ideas of how it can be improved.
“We’ve sent these ideas and nothing has happened.”
Vehicles being parked for long periods in areas put aside for social distancing were also causing problems, by reducing the width available for passers-by to just the width of Ashbourne’s often narrow pavements.
Councillors also discussed a few businesses in town they claim are not observing social distancing measures or face-covering rules, and it was pointed out that Derbyshire Dales District Council were actively monitoring infringements and issuing advice and fines.
It was agreed that the town council would write to Derbyshire County Council, addressing their concerns over the current measures, and resubmitting their suggestions for improvements.