Residents are being encouraged to have their say on proposed changes which would stop unauthorised vehicles accessing Rochester High Street on Sundays as well as Saturdays.
Launching today (Monday, 11 August), the consultation proposes to extend the existing no vehicle restriction, which is currently in place every Saturday, to include Sundays and bank holidays between 10am and 4pm.
The proposals aim to further increase the appeal of visiting Rochester town centre, as well as helping to improve safety along the high street.
To better manage access to the high street during the no vehicle restriction times, the proposals also include introducing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at Blue Boar Lane, Crow Lane and Boley Hill.
These cameras will help prevent unauthorised vehicles from entering the high street, whilst maintaining access for emergency services and permitted vehicles. As part of these improvements, the chains currently in place would be removed and the camera at Boley Hill would also enforce the existing no left or right turn restriction.
Cllr Alex Paterson, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Highways and Enforcement, said: “We want people to be able to enjoy visiting Rochester, whether it’s for the fantastic range of shops, restaurants and bars or our iconic heritage sites. By proposing to extend the well established no vehicle restriction to include Sundays and bank holidays, we are looking to put pedestrians first along the high street whilst people are out and enjoying themselves across the weekend. I would encourage all residents to take a look at these proposals and make sure they have their say in the consultation.”
If the proposals are agreed, a six-month warning period would be put in place with first time offences receiving a warning letter rather than a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Any income generated through PCNs would be used to cover the setup costs and reinvested into Medway’s transport network.
The consultation will run for six weeks from Monday, 11 August to Sunday, 21 September.