No closing Laurence’s Gate - yet!

IT COULD be the end of May before a report on the proposed closure of St Laurence’s Gate will now be ready.

It was revealed at Monday’s council meeting at Barlow House that ‘due to circumstances beyond the control of the council’ the report is still being worked on.

Councillors were in broad agreement that the gate should be closed, but it all depends on an appropriate traffic management plan being put in place.

Cllr Pio Smith remarked on the traffic plan which came with the present proposal to re-route traffic around the gate and felt that a plan, devised in 2012, was much more wide-ranging and included reversing the flow of traffic on Shop Street.

He felt the people who drew that up should be consulted as well, to make sure the best overall decision is made.

Two members of the ‘Close The Gate’ campaign made a formal presentation to the council in which they highlighted the ‘ best example of a Barbican Gate’ in Europe.

Ann McVeigh said it was an iconic symbol of the town’s rich heritage, but visitors were risking ‘ life and limb’ to get a picture of it.