The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Spalding councillor has renewed his calls for Swan Street to be closed or made one-way which he says will improve the traffic flow in the town.
Coun Roger Gambba-Jones (pictured) told a meeting of the Spalding Town Forum that it was something he would like to happen as members discussed traffic issues in the town.
The time motorists spend waiting at lights at Swan Street’s junction with Station Approach was one of the issues highlighted.
Coun Gambba-Jones told the meeting that a similar scheme was turned down due to cost and the time a public consultation would take.
However the district councillor believes either pedestrianising Swan Street, making it one way or possibly a dead end would help improve the waiting times for traffic in Spalding.
“We’ve seen the evidence it would work,” he said. “The sewer at the back of Sainsbury’s collapsed six or seven years ago and they needed to close Swan Street.
“It just made a massive difference to the traffic flows when they switched off those traffic lights.
“Everybody at the time said it was fantastic and it proves that it works and doesn’t seem to cause too much hassle to anybody.
“You could make Swan Street a dead end at Station Approach and if you wanted to access it go through the other end.”
Coun Gambba-Jones told the Town Forum that it may be the right time to look into new traffic proposals as he was aware that a traffic survey was currently being undertaken in the town.
He said: “It’s more of an evidence base of what traffic in the town is doing and when that’s completed it will give an opportunity to change what is going on.
“It could be used to come up with some proposals.”
Proposals for Swan Street have come up before.
A previous proposal in 2016 included the closing off of Swan Street at Station Approach with a possible compromise of making Swan Street one way if other traffic issues were identified.
The proposals also then included a mini roundabout at the junction of Winfrey Avenue and Kings Road.
However none of these options have been taken up.
“I’m still upset one person’s opinion thwarted that 18 months ago and that’s all it took,” Coun Gambba-Jones said at the Spalding Town Forum which oversees issues in the town that would otherwise be looked at by a town council.
“If someone such as that person objects, Highways have to go through with a formal consultation.
“Only that gives them the legitimacy to put proposals in place. It is very expensive and a huge amount of work.
“A manager of a town centre shop said if it was closed it would take him two minutes longer to get to work in the morning,” Coun Gambba-Jones said.
“It only takes one objection and it stops the proposals dead in their tracks.”
