It would appear part of the Conservative manifesto for the upcoming council elections is to pedestrianise the High Street over weekends.

There are a couple of obvious consequences of trying pedestrianisation, which have been mentioned before.

The Park and Ride buses being rerouted means the very people councillors are trying to encourage into the town will have to be dropped off at the bus station, St John Street or Head Street.

Other buses, such as those travelling between Shrub End and Greenstead for example, would have to be rerouted down Magdalen Street and Buy to Let Street (sorry, Brook Street) to pick up with East Street to continue its journey, merely shifting emissions from one place to another.

There are some, though by no means all, other points to consider.

How will people living in West Stockwell Street and the other roads off the High Street feel about being potentially banned from using their cars at the weekend?

While they will be able to drive out of town, due to various one way systems they could only return via the closed High Street.

Then there are the visitors that come to stay at the George Hotel for the weekend who decide they may like to visit Dedham only to find they are denied access from the hotel car park into the High Street.

What of those who wish to get married at the Town Hall? It is highly unlikely the bride, groom and guests would appreciate being dropped off in Head Street and have to mooch along in their wedding attire.

While on the subject of elections and pavements, I would like to comment on a piece in the Lib Dem pamphlet which lauded how having collaborated with Essex County Council they had ensured the speedy repair of the potholes and pavements of Colchester.

Having looked around you can only shudder to think what the infrastructure would be like without this collaboration.

I can remember when the phrase "clunk, click with every trip" was used in an advertising campaign to remind people to wear their seatbelt and not to describe what it is like to navigate pavements around Colchester.

Richard Hart
Harwich Road, Colchester