Paper petition details
Plans to de-pedestrianise
We the undersigned petition the council to withdraw your plans to depedestrianise Abington Street with immediate effect.
Members of the public and business owners on Abington Street
have not been presented with a business case based on any
statistical evidence to suggest that opening the street to traffic
would improve the shopping experience for the public or generate
more business for shop owners. Furthermore, environmental
implications and noise pollution levels have not been investigated.
This information should have been made available during the
official consultation period and was not, nor has it since been.
The Conservative Council administration refused to answer questions
raised by members of the public at a public meeting and has
conducted itself in a thoroughly undemocratic and arrogant manner.
Finally, in a time of severe austerity, where the public are facing
severe cuts and working people's standards of living have fallen in
real terms, it is irresponsible to commit £6m of public money
over a period of 20 years to a project that is unnecessary and has
no perceivable benefit to the people of Northampton and the
surrounding areas.
Therefore, for a body of elected representatives, accountable to
the people of Northampton, this petition serves to remind
Northampton Borough Council's Conservative administration where
their responsibilities should lie.
Started by: Daniel Moloney
On reaching 100 signatures the head of the relevant department will be made aware of the matter.
This Paper petition was received on 03/04/2014.
936 people signed this Paper petition.
Council response
The reopening of the middle section of Abington Street to traffic is a key part of this Administration’s plans to improve accessibility and parking to regenerate the town centre.
The idea was publicly discussed at the Borough Council Cabinet meeting in July last year, at which neither Lib Dems nor Labour councillors bothered to speak. The Borough Council ran a public consultation from 10th September until 9th October 2013, and the County Council followed suit from 5th December 2013 until 1st January 2014. This included sending over 300 letters to local businesses and residents asking for their views, and it was of course a key policy on which we publicly campaigned and were elected in the 2011 local elections. The proposal was again considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 11th December when it was agreed to include the scheme in the Council’s capital programme for 2013-2015.
The decision has been taken and work will soon be underway to reopen of the middle section of Abington Street to bring economic growth and improve the vitality of Northampton. We are creating an area where people can be picked up and dropped off in the heart of the town centre, and this will bring the area back to life as we make it easier for shoppers to visit and support local businesses.
Tim Hadland
Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning
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