Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Don’t rip up our wide pavement
Exclusive
gwarren@thekmgroup.co.uk Traders in St Dunstan’s have launched a campaign to keep the wider pavement they say has boosted business.
They fear the paving will soon be ripped up by Kent County Council after it scrapped the controversial Westgate Towers traffic trial.
But businesses say it has vastly improved the area, leading to more visitors and a more pleasant entrance to the city for people arriving on the high-speed train service from London.
It was widened in lower St Dunstan’s on one side as part of the scheme to cut traffic and enhance the area with planters, tables and chairs.
Now a petition of nearly 2,000 signatures has been collected calling for it to be retained.
The campaign is being led by shopkeeper Winston Feather, who has long battled for St Dunstan’s to be improved and become more integrated with the city.
He said: “Two new businesses actually opened while the traffic trial was in place and widening the pavement has really changed the atmosphere of the area and put us on the map.
“Far more people come down here now and it is so much nicer for rail passengers going to and from the station because it creates a much better initial impression of Canterbury.
“There has been a phenomenal response to our petition, all gathered from people passing by, which sends out a clear mes-
‘Widening the pavement has really changed the atmosphere of the area and put us on the map’
sage to the county council that it should be kept the way it is.”
Dan Grimwood, who runs the Refectory Kitchen in St Dunstan’s, agreed, adding: “It has definitely boosted trade and changing it back would be a retrograde step.”
The campaign is also supported by the landlord of the Bishop’s Finger, Sean McCord, who says customers now enjoy the area and the wide pavement acts as a buffer to the traffic. “It would also cost tens of thousands of pounds to rip it all up at a time we are told the county council is short of money,” he added.
Kent County Council is now considering other options to cope with traffic in the area but local people are demanding to be involved in the consultation process.
KCC spokesman Kirsty Russell said: “Reducing the width of the pavement has been discussed but no final decision has been taken and we are keeping our options open.
“Certainly nothing is going to happen in the next month or so.”
City council spokesman Celia Glynn-Williams said: “One of the council’s objectives in promoting the traffic trial was for St Dunstan’s to become a more attractive shopping and pedestrian area and a welcoming gateway to the city, and we were very happy with the widened pavements.”
What do you think? Email kentishgazette@thekmgroup.co.uk or write to Gazette House, 5-8 Boorman Way, Wraik Hill, CT5 3SE.