Boots Corner Trial closure extended after bad-tempered meeting
ACOUNCIL meeting descended into chaos over the pilot road closure scheme at Boots Corner in Cheltenham.
Borough councillors and the public gallery locked horns over the trial which was last night voted to be extended until late 2019.
Mayor Bernard Fisher threatened to boot the public gallery out after boos, hisses and calls for resignations filled the council chamber in a five-and-ahalf-hour meeting.
During a break, in which Mr Fisher (LD, Swindon Village) demanded people in the public gallery leave to let the meeting continue, many councillors speculated to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the police will be called.
That was however decided against. The temporary scheme has seen Clarence Street, known locally as Boots Corner, closed to unauthorised vehicles since June 28 last year as part of the town’s transport plan.
A petition to re-open the popular High Street through-route, which saw 13,000 vehicles daily drive through it before its closure, has reached nearly 6,000 signatures and is led by Cheltenham’s Conservative MP Alex Chalk.
The petition was however knocked back by the council which voted in favour of keeping Boots Corner closed by a majority of 14.
Speaking before the full council, leader Steve Jordan said: “We are cutting the road which separates the town centre in half. It’s been 30 years but I think it’s well worth the wait.”
Tensions rose between members of the public and borough councillors who were battling to get a word in edgeways.
During a recorded vote on whether to hold a public meeting on the trial closure, each “against” vote cast drew heavy reaction from the public gallery who collectively tutted and murmured “shame”.
At the end of the count, several members shouted “what are you scared of?”, “cowards” and “look forward to the next election”.
Liberal Democrat councillor Dennis Parsons (Pittville) later in the meeting said: “Anybody who is opposed to this scheme, who cannot see the benefits that there are to this town is either deluded or totally political.”
Conservative leader Tim Harman (Park) revealed that the owner of Cheltenham’s largest shopping centre Regent Arcade, Scott Lahive, emailed him to say Boots Corner is having a negative effect on his and other businesses in the town.
After the meeting, Andrew Mckinlay (LD, Up Hatherley), the senior councillor in charge of the trial scheme, said: “I thought tonight was very successful.
“There clearly was a lot of interest from the public - people who have actually objected to the scheme for a long time.
“This is not new, we have had these objections for the last six years from a vociferous minority.
“I thought the point came across the trial has been a success.”
Mr Harman said: “Clearly tonight’s meeting was pretty lively.
“You could see the strength of feeling which has come from a very full gallery and the 38 public questions that came in.
“Backing up a petition which has nearly 6,000 signatures on it, I know that people are from different businesses and political persuasions. I was determined tonight to make sure those who came to this meeting should see a free and honest debate.
“Clearly on a recorded vote the Liberal Democrat group, with the exception of one (Councillor Klara Sudbury), did actually say ‘go ahead.’
“I think they are overruling the views of nearly 6,000 people. Looking ahead the trial period has now been extended we will continue to watch very carefully how things go, and I am determined that the views of 6,000 people will not be swept under the carpet.”
Members for the first time saw traffic data that show where and how much traffic has been dispersed around the town in September and November last year, compared to comparative statistics because the trial.
Councillors and the public gallery heard how the High Street crossing from Rodney Road into Winchcombe Street, near the entrance to John Lewis, has seen more than 1,200 extra vehicles a day - the equivalent of 100 an hour per day - over the two-month period after the closure.
Scott Tompkins, Highways officer at Gloucestershire County Council, said in the meeting: “I have stood at the junction on Rodney Road and could not believe that so much traffic is going down there because it is actually pedestrianised. We did think about temporarily closing it like Boots Corner, but chose against it.”
Particular roads in the town have seen as much as a 35 per cent increase, including routes St. James Square Ambrose Street - St. George’s Street and Rodney Road - High Street - Winchcombe Street South.
Statistics from Cheltenham Borough Council show that there has been an 85 per cent drop in traffic at Boots Corner, 700 additional pedestrian movements per hour and the number of cyclists has tripled.
And 5,000 extra people per week are using the buses in Cheltenham since June last year, according to Stagecoach West representative Rupert Cox.
Mr Cox added that it is a four per cent growth while nationally bus passenger usage is down by two per cent.
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