Plan to ban cars from town's high street are welcomed by community leaders

Currently the street is supposed to be off-limits for vehicles between 10am and 4pm, with access allowed outside of these hours for traders loading and unloading goods.

Changes to the timings have now been proposed, which would extend the vehicle ban to 4.30pm each day. A consultation email from Staffordshire County Council said that reference to permit holders was also set to be removed from signage because there is no permit scheme in place.

Members of Stone Town Council were told about the plans at their latest meeting. They have previously called on the county council to extend the High Street’s pedestrian-only hours because of concerns that allowing cars and vans into the High Street after 4pm poses a safety risk to town centre visitors who are unaware it is not always a pedestrian-only zone.

Councillor Jill Hood said: “We are getting a consultation for the public and for the traders. It will only be an extra half hour added to the day, to give all the schoolchildren time to clear the street.

“The signs will read no vehicles from 10am to 4.30am, except for access from 4.30pm to 10am, giving traders time to load and unload. I’m hoping we can find a way for this council to support stopping vehicles in the High Street when it’s supposed to be a pedestrianised zone.

“I’ve also been asked to talk to the highways department for proactive enforcement in the first few days it comes into force. I walk down the High Street every day with my dog and I see some of the traffic driving down the High Street at ridiculous speed.

“We have children and a high proportion of elderly people but the cars are not bothered at all by pedestrians – all they want to do is beat the lights on Christchurch Way. I am hoping that by hammering this home on social media and in newspaper articles people will realise unless they are traders unloading and unloading they shouldn’t be driving down the High Street.”

Councillors James Battrick and Ian Fordham suggested an automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) system could be used as part of enforcement measures. Councillor Fordham said: “Councillor Hood is doing a good job getting officers out enforcing but they can’t be there 24/7.”

Councillor Jim Davies said: “Those who have been around a while will remember we had a referendum on gates and bollards. The vote came down for bollards, but gates would have been useful because putting a gate across would have been much easier and less prone to damage.”