Records broken as road closure figures revealed
THOUSANDS more people crossed Boots Corner on foot in the first week of the trial closure for vehicles, according to officials.
Officials said 27,008 people crossed the road that separates the Brewery end of Cheltenham’s High Street and the Marks and Spencer side in the first full week unauthorised cars were not allowed to drive through Boots Corner - up from 14,657 in a week in June, a month before the closure.
Cheltenham Borough Council said the statistics show a “record increase” of pedestrian and bicycle usage around the Boots Corner and high street area.
But critics of the scheme, which saw the popular through route close to all vehicles except emergency services and taxis, said the initial recording reflected a quieter weekend for the high street against a busy one.
The council have been measuring how many people have crossed the traffic lights on North Street under the trial scheme, designed to make the high street a shared space.
Officials also said they saw 454 greater cycle movements between the two weeks.
In the first full week of closure, the data said:
The average number of seated pedestrians around the Boots Corner fountain area increased by 19 per cent
The average number of wheelchair and mobility scooter users increased by 55 per cent
Vehicles travelling through Boots Corner was down by 85 per cent
Bicycles being parked dropped by 38 per cent
Criticising the statistics, owners of Clarence Parade-based restaurant Lumiere, Helen and Jon Howe, said: “As far as the council’s figures go, you can’t really compare the two sets of data. June data is pre-world Cup & Father’s Day weekend. The July data is taken in glorious sunshine while England are still in the World Cup.
“I’m not sure these footfall measurements are the correct measurement to be using to define the success of the trial.
“These figures really only relate to commuters rather than shoppers.
“If the high street is to prosper then the council need to be looking at the consumer experience, not the commuter experience.
“Yes it’s great that people who work in town are walking or cycling when the weather is lovely but that’s not enough to draw people into Cheltenham.”
The trial closure is currently under public consultation which is expected to end at the end of 2018.
Councillor Andrew Mckinlay, cabinet member for development and safety said: “Overall, the data so far suggests that the trial road closure has not had a negative impact on visitors to the high street, actually the reverse.
“We can see that people travel into town far more by public transport, bike or on foot.
“These are the people who are spending money in our shops, enjoying our cafes, bars and restaurants and our wider cultural offer.
“The results so far build on last week’s announcement that the last twelve months have been the most successful ever for The Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham.”
Meanwhile, the number of people using buses in Cheltenham increased by the thousands in September.
Last month, 4,000 extra bus trips on Stagecoach West were made every week, the company said.