Remove the restrictions to the High Street and George Street, St Albans

Remove the restrictions to the High Street and George Street, St Albans

Started
10 September 2020
Petition to
Rupert Thacker (Hertfordshire Highways) and 1 other
Signatures: 1,239Next Goal: 1,500
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Why this petition matters

Started by Tom James

It seems that Hertfordshire Highways are hell bent on keeping these areas closed until March with Gates being installed at the top and bottom of each road. Access times will be between 7am and 11am (currently) with no access after.

All traffic will be directed down Spicer Street and Fishpool Street including all school traffic.

For those that want to know why I'm so against this:

Our business has been on George Street for 65+ years now. This is denying us access to our premises for loading through out the day. It also has seen us lose clients who cannot walk long distances and have gotten lost in town trying to navigate to car parks etc.

George Street is predominantly timber framed, any fire will result in absolute destruction yet we are happy for the fire service to struggle through three locked gates to arrive. Should they need to get to the front of the Cathedral in a Nantes style incident, then it'll be four gates.

The majority of East of England Ambulance vehicles including the Independent services contracted by them, do not have emergency key sets. This means should someone collapse in a gated area, they will be wheeled or carried to the waiting Ambulance. What happened to every second counts?

Apparently all residents in the areas affected have been contacted and had this discussed with them. We are meeting people daily who have only found out via word of mouth. There have been no discussions as to how residents feel.

I'm sure we all think it's wonderful to sit outside on a sunny day, enjoying a meal in the warm air but what happens in November, December, January when the skies open, the cold weather stings your bones and the wind carries you off like Mary Poppins? The street will be empty.

Finally, it's hard to believe that George Street requires the 'urgent' Covid-19 response crack down when Chequer Street, St Peters Street and the Market Place are untouched by Herts Highways. These are the roads that need to be opened to give our thriving town centre a chance, not a little side road.

1st June:

Having heard that HCC have no funding for improvements to the A5 / Redbourn Road, is it really more important to pedestrianise this region of town?  Let’s get the money diverted to fixing the death trap of the A5 instead. 

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Signatures: 1,239Next Goal: 1,500
Support now
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Decision-Makers

  • Rupert ThackerHertfordshire Highways
  • St Albans Council