I have secured a statement from Hertfordshire County Council about their intentions about both Market place and St Peter’s Street. I am dismayed to read that there is no consideration of consulting with the public on any of these issues. I will, howeer, make sure that the public is fully involved, eve if HCC has lost sight of them.

I would warn readers that ‘pedestianisation’ is a loose term and that it often means just the banning of motor vehicles other than for access or emergencies.

Pedestrianisation of Roads in St Albans

Further to the public consultation on the St Albans Urban Transport Plan
during the summer and autumn of 2008, a number of comments were made
from members of the public and local councillors regarding the
pedestrianisation of both Market Place and St Peter’s Street. This
feedback has been incorporated into the final document which has been
completed but has not yet been published.

Now that these suggestions have been formally raised and noted they will
be taken into consideration when any new proposals are brought to the
drawing board. No work is planned for 09/10, apart from a Traffic Model
which will be constructed this financial year and from which computer
simulations can be run.

This model is the first analysis of existing traffic problems within the
City and will be used in future decision making processes for schemes.
Whilst models have been done in the past, there has been nothing of this
scale and detail. It will look at traffic travelling into St Albans, as
well as the routes that people choose when simply passing through. It
will look at the places where congestion regularly occurs and therefore
the impact that schemes and improvements to other areas e.g. the Ancient
Briton or the King William junctions could have on these already traffic
affected areas. It will also look at how pedestrianisation could affect
other roads i.e. moving the problem elsewhere etc.

It is not currently the ambition of HCC to pedestrianise either St
Peter’s Street or Market Place. Certainly no funding has been secured
for either location. If pedestrianisation was to occur then a full
consultation process will be carried out with local businesses. Access
will always be maintained for deliveries though possible at restricted
hours. It has also been suggested whilst hypothetically discussing the
pedestrianisation that provision be made for customer collections.