TRADERS BACK CALL TO KEEP CARS OFF STREET AFTER 10AM
Businesses want bollards up to keep pedestrians safe
TRADERS are backing calls to keep a busy city centre street car-free from 10am every day.
Bollards were installed by Stoke-on-trent City Council along Piccadilly earlier this year to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and encourage shoppers to return as lockdown ended.
At present vehicles are allowed access into Piccadilly from 5am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm.
Now the Stoke-on-trent City Centre BID has made a request to Stoke-on-trent City Council to remove the vehicle access in Piccadilly between 5pm and 9pm.
Meaning vehicles will only be allowed to access Piccadilly between 5am and 10am.
The request has been made to help ‘stimulate’ the night time economy in the Cultural Quarter.
Jonathan Bellamy, chair of Stokeon-trent City Centre BID, said: “The bollards afford visitors and patrons of the businesses located along the street additional safety during the pedestrianised hours.
“Additionally it is really important to maximise the potential of having a pedestrianised area – something we really saw in evidence last summer following lockdown restrictions being lifted, when all of the food and beverage venues were able to cater for their customers outdoors, producing a buzzing atmosphere, in a protected environment.
“The new bollard scheme also means that future events that the BID hosts along Piccadilly will be held in a safer and more engaging environment to further the enjoyment and positive experience had by visitors, making our city centre an attractive place to visit.”
Now traders have welcomed the proposals after seeing cars almost hitting pedestrians as they queued for the Regent Theatre and witnessing a taxi squeezing through the closed bollards.
John Riviere is the manager of The Orchard Bar and Bistro.
The 40-year-old said: “The other day a couple were eating their meal outside and when they stood up they almost got hit by a car. It should be a pedestrianised area.
“At around 7pm when the theatre is on there are hundreds of people queueing outside with cars bombing up and down. Some people almost got hit outside. “When the bollards were up the other night we saw a taxi squeeze through by driving over the pavement.
“It’s only a matter of time before there’s an accident. When people are eating outside it’s not nice to have cars driving past and it will protect the people here if they are closed.”
Bottlecraft’s assistant manager Chris Straughan has also backed calls for Piccadilly to remain pedestrianised in the evenings.
The 32-yearold said: “It’s a safety issue with people sat outside drinking and eating, you don’t want cars going up and down the street.
“After covid a lot of people sit outside and we’ve got quite a bit of outdoor seating along with North, Bloom, The Gin Rummy and Klay.
“We don’t want any accidents happening and it makes it a bit more metropolitan.”
The BID has corresponded with Stoke-on-trent City Council to request a consultation period. Representations can be made in writing, quoting the reference DF/ ETRO15/2021 either by post or by email to traffic.orders@stoke.gov. uk.