Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Have Your Say: How Should Rochford’s Market Square be Revitalised?

Residents have been asked to give their views on how Rochford’s Market Square could be revitalised.

A Public Consultation is being held by Rochford District Council to ensure residents have a say about how our Town Centre should look in the years to come. Our planning officers have drawn up two options, but would welcome any further ideas.

Rochford District Council’s Keith Hudson said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to plan for the future of Rochford’s Market Square to attract more shoppers to the area.It’s important that we make it a central point of which we can be proud, and preserve its unique historic character at the same time. We really need the input of residents to help us achieve this goal, so I would urge everyone to have a look through the information, and make their views known.”

Option number one:

Figure 11 - a modest improvement scheme that would give greater priority to pedestrians with much wider pavement areas in the Market Square and would help better link the south side of West Street with the Market Square with new informal crossings created. The plan shows 15 parking bays and space for 3 taxis. The bus stop is retained.

Benefits  

· Improved pedestrian environment – widened pavements and raised crossings across West Street

· Continue to provide free car parking in this central location

· Potential opportunity to provide free parking elsewhere in proximity to Square, for example Old Ship Lane car park

· Rationalised taxi waiting spaces – potential relocation of some spaces to Back Lane car park or Roche Close

· Retention of bus stop

· Enable freer flow of traffic along West Street if a bus is stationary at the bus stop

Constraints

· Three fewer car parking spaces on the western side of the Square

· Free parking in the Square likely to continue to encourage queuing and congestion

· Fewer taxi waiting spaces in this central location  

Option 2

Figure 12 - a more significant intervention could see the pedestrianisation of the Square whilst retaining capacity for up to 10 public parking spaces and the bus stop. The taxi rank however would need to be relocated

Benefits  

· Retain some parking in this central location

· Pay and display could discourage congestion and ensure a freer flow of traffic along West Street

· Part-pedestrianisation of the Square

· Potential opportunity to provide free parking elsewhere in proximity to Square, for example Old Ship Lane car park

· Retention of bus stop

Constraints

· Relocation of the taxi rank entirely to either Back Lane car park or Roche Close

· Few car parking spaces in this central location

· Loss of free car parking could discourage short, convenience shopping trips

These options form part of the Rochford Area Action Plan which was submitted to the Government for independent examination in November 2013, after undergoing a pre-submission consultation.

The Planning inspector then wrote to Rochford District Council to ask that we identify which option we prefer, so we are seeking the views of residents before we respond.

The Council will be exhibiting the information in Rochford during the consultation period, at locations to be confirmed. It will also be available at the Council offices and online throughout the consultation period at www.rochford.gov.uk.

Representations must be submitted by 5pm on Thursday, May 8, 2014 and can be submitted online consultation system at http://rochford.jdi-consult.net/ldf

Alternatively, send them to Planning Policy, Rochford District Council, South Street, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1BW

Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. This copy is believed to be correct. Nevertheless Rochford District Council can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions, changes in the details given or for any expense or loss thereby caused. Rochford District Council Licence No. 100018109

Figure 11 – Market Square improvements – a modest improvement scheme that would give greater priority to pedestrians with much wider pavement areas in the Market Square and would help better link the south side of West Street with the Market Square with new informal crossings created.  The plan shows 15 parking bays and space for 3 taxis.  The bus stop is retained