Extending high street car restriction a 'no-brainer'

Vehicles are already restricted from entering Rochester High Street every Saturday

Expanding restrictions on vehicles in a Kent high street has been labelled a "no-brainer" for pedestrian safety, despite claims it is a "money-making" move.

Medway Council is consulting on an extension to the existing no vehicle restriction in Rochester, which is currently in place every Saturday, to include Sundays and bank holidays between 10:00 and 16:00.

The proposals include the introduction of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at Blue Boar Lane, Crow Lane and Boley Hill.

Some business owners have welcomed the expansion, while others are concerned that an increase in fines could hit trade and put off visitors.

Hannah Knowlton, co-owner of Analogue Music, said she was in favour of the extension, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

She said: "I think it's good for business that the street's pedestrianised, but we still are getting a lot of cars coming down the street, which can be a little bit problematic.

"So it's a good idea, but I think the road needs to be physically blocked for it to work properly and while there's possibly an element of money-making, it's the trade-off for safety."

Stuart Thomas Kemp, director and tutor at The Wooden Mouse School Of French Polishing, is concerned about fines being wrongly issued.

He cited one example where both he and a customer were ticketed despite their cars being on the high street at 09:30, with boots open and hazard lights on.

Mr Kemp said: "We knew we had to be off the high street by 10am, but we still got tickets.

"If they're extending it from Saturday, is it going to basically go against us when customers are dropping off or picking up their furniture?"

Alex Paterson, Medway Council's portfolio holder for community safety, highways and enforcement, said those who did not break the rules had nothing to fear.

He said: "If you don't drive down Rochester High Street between 10am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays without authorisation to do so, you won't have a fine."

It is a "no-brainer" to extend the "effective pedestrian zone" already in place on Saturdays, Mr Paterson added.

The ANPR cameras would also be used to enforce no right or left turn restrictions on to the High Street when coming from the Boley Hill direction, said the council.

It said any income generated through penalty charge notices would be used to cover the setup costs and be reinvested into the area's transport network.

The consultation runs until 21 September.