Ventnor Town Council (VTC) have kicked off the much-awaited public consultation to explore the possibility of pedestrianising part of the town centre, with every household in Ventnor this week due to receive a copy of the case for pedestrianisation.
The pamphlet from the VTC opens with a very clear message, that they have not decided, in private or public, to pedestrianise part of the High Street or Esplanade, but wants to work with others to “restore a sense of the Town as a destination, with the High Street as one its attractions”.
Challenges to be faced
The VTC argue that Ventnor’s footfall has fallen in recent years and traders struggle year-on-year with declining visitors.
They believe Ventnor’s High Street is uniquely placed to become a new shopping experience that is “lively, dynamic and exciting, capable of stimulating business development and improving retail performance”.
Range of options
Within the pamphlet (embedded below for your convenience) two possibilities for traffic flow around the town are sketched out.
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The radical changes could see the direction of traffic on current one-way streets reversed or even changed to two way.
Early opposition
The plans have already attracted opposition from some businesses in the town, with a poster campaign and petition been present for several months.
The consultation process could last up to a year, but in the meantime a number of consultation meetings have been organised for residents and businesses (see final page of pamphlet below).
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