A number of Shrewsbury restaurants and cafes are calling for traffic-free streets to be reintroduced at weekends – saying the extra outdoor space had been an “exciting opportunity”.
A trial pedestrianisation scheme ended in Shrewsbury town centre last week, with some businesses calling for the pedestrian-friendly town centre to be reinstated in the future.
Becky Rawlings, of Hopefully Made in Milk Street, said removing traffic from the road just off High Street had been a major benefit for the business.
She said: “We would love to help pedestrianise Milk Street, as we have noticed the huge positive impact that it has had having Milk Street closed.
“Allowing us to have outdoor seating has made our coffee shop more visible, as well as improving the overall atmosphere on the street, creating such a positive and inviting environment for both our customers and other businesses on our street.
“Being able to have outdoor seating, even if only at the weekends, will not only benefit our business and the businesses around us, but will create the positive community atmosphere that we know Shrewsbury can be.”
Richard Fowler, of Peaberry Café in Milk Street, said being able to use the road space for outdoor dining had been the one bright spot of the past year.
He added: “Our business, as you may imagine, has been on a Covid roller coaster for the past 18 months, being forced to close and open and close and open and close and open.
“The one positive thing through this period has been the ability to take advantage of the Covid road closure restrictions, which, with the council’s permission, has allowed us to use a section of the road outside the front of our business as an alfresco dining terrace.
“The response from our customers has been nothing more than amazing, they really like the vibe it has created, bringing a very relaxed cosmopolitan feel to the area.
“Photos of a closed Milk Street have been used widely on social media and in the press, showcasing what a relaxed safe place Shrewsbury town centre is.
“Surely the town needs to move with the changing world and embrace a cleaner safer experience for visitors.”
Gwen Burgess, of Darwin’s cafe in Shoplatch, said traffic-free streets had been very popular with customers.
She said: “The opportunity to extend our seating into the road has been an exciting opportunity for us – we’ve invested in attractive furniture, and we’ve also run some special promotions.
“The feedback from customers has been so positive. We would love to see some time-constrained, seasonal pedestrianisation to enable this to carry on, especially at the weekends and on special occasions, such as when the market is open late.
“We would like Shropshire Council to be imaginative, flexible and forward-looking, so we can find a sensible compromise that suits visitors, businesses and residents.”
The trial measures were introduced on 19 July 2021 and were due to remain in place until 31 October. However, following initial feedback – both for and against the scheme – Shropshire Council suspended the trial on 1 September to allow all views to be reviewed and considered.
Consultation
A statutory consultation into the trial measures is underway and can be found on the Shropshire Council website. – with people being encouraged to complete the survey to make their views known
Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said:
“Initial feedback tells us that many people and businesses have welcomed the measures, but it also clear that some aren’t happy – notably blue badge holders and some traders – and I sympathise with their comments and concerns.
“It’s important that we formally consider all views and I encourage people to take part in our online consultation to tell us what they think.
“Once we’ve taken all comments on board we’ll look at running a further, revised, trial in the near future.”
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