£3million of so-called improvements to Newport Town Centre, which will include the removal of parking spaces, has been given the go-ahead by the Isle of Wight Council.
The plans, part of the Newport High Street Heritage Action Zone ‘People First’ idea, will see the removal of 22 parking spaces on the High Street between St James’s Street and Holyrood Street; widening footways to help slow down traffic; and accessibility and appearance improvements.
Despite disgruntlement from locals and concerns over a lack of consultation, the Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet approved the spend at Thursday night’s meeting.
During the meeting, it was suggested that the decision be deferred until a later date to allow more views to be heard. The council carried out a consultation where just 182 responses were received — 63% supporting the plans and 32% against.
Many Island Echo readers have commented on how the removal of parking will in fact harm the High Street as people will find it harder to nip into shops. Councillor Ian Ward agreed with this and warned the Cabinet that by removing the parking it would drive people towards shopping in the supermarkets on the outskirts of town and potentially damage trade.
Councillor Jones-Evans, however, said since the introduction of the hour-free parking in short-stay car parks in the town centre, there were 8,000 extra visits to Newport in the first 6 weeks of the scheme. She also said, anecdotally, she had been told fewer people had gone to Asda, the on-the-edge-of-town supermarket, and it was not the death of the High Street.
Cllr Jones-Evans, who is the Cabinet member for regeneration and business development, said when Historic England visited the town they noted the domination of cars on the High Street and how the Georgian buildings were largely ignored. She said:
“It is just a step towards a better world, we want to see more people walking, cycling, fresher air; we want more space to be with each other, shop and dwell. Let’s get back to our lives.”
Answering fears it would lead to total pedestrianisation of Newport High Street, Cllr Jones-Evans said it was scaremongering but she felt fine about the scheme being approved by cabinet and said they could not please everyone.
Planning will now go ahead to implement the scheme.
LOL cloud cuckoo land as usual from IWC. Its already difficult enough to get in/around/thru Newpost by vehicle due to the narrow roads and existing traffic “calming” – traffic does not need “slowing down” its already mostly at walking pace already.
and 8000 “extra visits” is another out of context stat. 8000 visits spread over 6 weeks isnt exactly a whole hill of beans is it….
Well, having thorough traffic in city is always a bad idea – it will obviously be slow and you shouldn’t want to do it. Should go around. Otherwise it only adds noise, pollution, accident chance, road tear and congestion without benefitting the town.
If those 8000 visitors only bought a £5 coffee, that would be +£1000 a week for Newport businesses.
But something tell me average spent might be higher than £5.
And that’s all before other changes, lets not forget.
Someones spent to much time shopping in Southampton, which used to be heaving before pedestrianisation, funny how these artists impressions never show the homeless or the ‘vibrant’ shopping scene mid winter, but obay your leader peasants,complaints will not be tolerated..all for a better future..but whos future are they really talking about?
It’s amazing how uselessly out of touch the people on this council are.
Is the IWC really staffed by people on the island? From the continual poor performance and stupid ideas/decisions, I am becoming more convinced that the IWC has been outsourced to a Mumbai call centre or suchlike.
Councils only concern is benefit babes, never being inconvenienced by working.
3 million pounds to make a pavement wider? Sounds a bargain
Bloody Tories wasting our tax contributions again on something that really will not improve Newport.
Lower rent and shops might start trading again, that’s the way to go not widening the bloody pavement at a cost of £3,000,000. Absolutely ridiculous. Another scandal.
We have an independent council, not Tory. They are all as useless as one another, however.
I know we have an Independent Council Paul. I was thinking more along the lines of where has this money come from?
Is it Island residents tax contributions or Central Government? Either way, it’s a total waste of £3,000,000
The article clearly states that the funding was approved by the island council, not central government.
If you wish to contribute at least get your facts correct
Don’t worry, if Island Roads get the job, it’ll be 100 metres of dodgy tarmac, and a few wiggly yellow lines, another million for the no parking signs, and back in a few weeks to remove the weeds from the tarmac.
C’mon they’ve done themselves proud at a camp Hill, 10 metres of new tarmac on the whole estate on a pavement nobody walks on. Though I’m told an ex councillor lives in the house it’s in front of!!!
No the weeds will stay, there’s nothing in place to remove them visit any street in ryde
So what about all those people who cannot walk miles or cycle who currently park up and shop? This scheme sounds discriminatory to them.
Pretty sure there will be places for blue-badge owners – that’s pretty much hardcoded in the rules.
22 parking spaces?! This is like watching a crash in slow motion! We must save the 22 parking spaces.
Will someone please think of the cars
Sounds lovely, now just need some shops that will be worth visiting and paying the high price of parking.
Its liking trying to turn back the tide, councils try and force people into towns to shop, they do this by removing parking spaces and putting up parking charges, Out of town shopping where you can park outside your chosen venue for free is the new reality, anything else is a total waste of money.
so very true – but it’s not their money they’re wasting is it? Its ours!
We should all agree to strike: non payment of council tax by the vast majority would bring them to a halt. They cant lock us all up!
Currently in a place where sense reigns and run by thoughtful people who are in touch with those who matter. The thought of coming back to IOW……. Think I will have to cancel the return ticket.
The way many idiotic island drivers drive, making Newport Town Centre pedestrian only would be a good idea. So many speeding, loud cars. I witness them everyday, always in such a rush to get somewhere or perhaps they think their loud exhaust sounds good on their Ford Fiesta or their Renault Clio?!?!?!
NOT!
Speeding in Newport? You would have a job. Even now you can’t go through the place at much more than walking pace.
Even when you can get to 20mph, 1 of the 4000 sets of traffic lights goes red,so you sit there and watch nothing go past.
So yet again we see the council totally ignore the island residents and go ahead and waste more millions of pounds on another hair brained scheme. If they had their way we will be back to horses and carts. People must be so glad that they voted for these morons.
But most opinions were positive? So I guess if they weren’t to do it, they would be ignoring residents again, but this time the majority?
Yep. £9,million wasted on the removal of St Mary’s roundabout when a fraction of that amount could have been spent just putting traffic lights on it. And turning back towards Cowes after leaving St Mary’s Hospital would have been so much easier.
Ridiculous waste of money. Won’t make any difference to car volumes and traffic, and will in fact bring the pedestrians closer to the road.
That artists impression of a lady sat about a foot away from the road outside The Guildhall next to a plant pot is the most stupid and unrealistic sketch I’ve seen in a while.
To paraphrase Councillor Stephens from an article the other day…
We must ensure due diligence when spending Tax Payers money!
Yet another classic example of pie in the sky thinking (or rather lack of thinking). The Council have thought up this scheme therefore it is a brilliant scheme and nothing and no-one will stand in the way of its execution!!
I do wonder if Cllr Stephens understands the term ‘due diligence’. Base on some of his pronouncements recently, I suspect not.
“The council carried out a consultation where just 182 responses were received — 63% supporting the plans and 32% against.”
So what were the figures excluding responses from council employees, councillors and dummy supporters?
Lies,lies and more lies from a totally inept council . They are hell bent on destroying businesses in Newport. People will not put up with absurd ideas and wastage of 3 million pounds of tax payers money. I bet there were way more than 182 responses and a high percentage were against. 62% supported this – total crap. Trouble is you will not get the truth.
Is this the council who wasted lots of money on so called improvements to Coppins Bridge
they never listen to anything the public say and they are meant to represent us..NO only themselves I think it used to be called backhanders
Wouldn’t be surprised if Tesco re-think their plans for a local store since parking near the store is being removed.
Convenience stores need pull-in parking, that’s what makes them convenient.
These councillors think they know better, though seem to get it wrong a lot. Like the City status debacle.
Even Sandown looks better and with more shops than newport and that is saying something
Newport is doomed
Even moreso know
What next dear council? Nock do your offices to build a luxury new block at a cost to us?
I notice as usual that all people want to do is moan because they have so little in their lives.
How about making some constructive ideas to benefit the town for a change
If someone takes £3 million of your money to spend on pavements when most of you think it’s unnecessary, it’s worth moaning about.
Plenty of constructive ideas which don’t cost £3 million. Street food events for one.
ok, start by building affordable homes on that eyesore between the Council offices and the cinema.
Constructive idea! Please can the IWC stop limiting everyones shopping time down to an hour or two in the car parks? I like Newport but we are hardly encouraged to stop, shop, eat and spend our money with such limited parking times.
Amazon is a brilliant high street.
All I can say is that 3 million would be better spent on finding homes for desperate people .
Not on removing parking spaces which some people need to park outside a shop .
It will just make Newport more quieter than it already is .
That’s why most people shop ,and eat ,where they can park outside .Crazy .
And what about the workers that need to park close to do a job
Like electricians gas fiters plumbers window cleaners and so on
These trades are not privileged
Not like the council and island roads that park were ever suites them and that includes restrictions areas and double yellows with out any problems or tickets
Well said. Just go and look at the complete brain-dead chaos that’s started on Shanklin seafront this morning. Just as we head for the busiest holiday period. Unbelievably ridiculous.
this council wants everyone to relinquish their cars and get about on those powered scooters, or the proposed bikes! i can’t wait to see them trying to hard sell this to the 80+ year olds….
As they say proof is in the pudding, lets hope this isn’t another monumental expenditure failure of the Isle of Wight Council and the debatable capabilities of the Isle of Wight Planning Office. Both will have serious questions along with repercussions if it fails. Three million is a lot of money to put on a “whim” in this financial environment especially if they cannot prove it will improve visitors to Newport town centre, prefer Ryde myself.
The narrow pavement in Nodehill wants to be wider and if the high street looses spaces so should Nodehill. Not that Julie Jones Evans would ever consider that of course. Not in my backyard. Ryde and Shanklin shops flourish as they have free short stay parking. Take that away and they will go downhill just like Newport
Who are these councilors, I never seen a consultation and we only have to take their word the outcome. Town centres being destroyed for average people,we can’t afford Costa coffee! even charity shops prices are up due to rent/taxes etc. This council just want rich middle class people on the Island Lower classes never seem to be given a chance and then we complain when they need claim benefits etc. £3000000 how many food parcels/heating bills etc could that provide. It’s always the elderly and young working class that suffer yet they are /have been key workers who without – this country and greedy rich would have nowt
And then along come Wight Fibre and dig it all up again
Has there ever been a more disruptive firm to our road network as that lot??
What we need is more decent shops, not crackpot traffic schemes to save a town in decline!
So, how about changing the parking in Nodehill to be more pedestrian friendly. Oh, wait. Councillor Jones-Evans has a shop there that would suffer from the reduced trade.
The first tractor with it’s trailer full of 5h1t3 will flatten that planter.
It will also be full of tin cans and food wrappers, as well as the contents of the local oik’s stomach on a Friday night.
Who would want to sit there? Moreover, those drawings must have been done during lockup with all that antisocial distancing going on? The only things missing are the masks.
Total and utter waste of time and money and yet another council vanity project.
Cool. All research shows pedestrianised high street have higher turnovers and profit, just ask at any uni with architecture department – and stats with new visits show that potential.
To councillors who suggest it will do the opposite: any data to confirm it?
The Council could put that 3 Million quid towards a bridge over the Media, that would take most of the traffic from the middle road and west Wight away from the high street and keep the car parking.
Island roads must be rubbing their hands!
Erm… make it pedestrianised so people can window gaze at empty shops? Get businesses back in first!!!
Having lived in Europe for 20 years where a lot of town centers are for pedestrians only I think its a great idea. Street cafes and bars, nice places to sit and watch the world go by. Music events and street food. Get some greenery in there too. Build it for people not cars! Most of the main high street retailers have left already so good opportunity for more independent shops.
What’s that banging sound I hear? Could it be someone locking the stable door after the horse has bolted?
OK in this instance I agree with Cllr Ward, this expensive white elephant only adds to people leaving the high street. How many of us just want to pop into a shop, let’s say a pharmacy to pick something up, it’s nigh on impossible now to get a cheap short stay parking space, let alone take away further spaces.
Cllr Jones Evans runs a little shop in Upper St James Street and believes she can cure Newport. I hope she’s declared an interest in this 3 million pound spend. She of all people knows the rents are way too high on Newport High Street for new businesses to start filling the empty shops, a subsidy scheme would be a good idea
What is JJE trying to do, absolutely kill newport, use this money to regeneration of the shops, place an out of town parking area for at least 500 cars and provide a free park and ride system into town. No cars means no people means no spending and even more shops will close
3 million !! Where did they manage to find 3 million. Useless protesting, once the council have an idea that’s it pointless asking the people it’s actually going to affect . Cretins the lot of them , too much too late , they are just putting the last nail in the coffin for Newport.
IWC. LOOK at the huge response to this article and LISTEN to the people who pay your wages. We all want Newport to be improved but this is half-hearted and detrimental to visitors and businesses.