Pedestrianisation: Dismay of town centre shoppers (From Warrington Guardian)

Pedestrianisation: Dismay of town centre shoppers

SHOPPERS last week reacted with dismay to Macclesfield Borough Council's decision to abandon its plans to pedestrianise King Street.

Many said it was a missed opportunity - and would have made the town a better and safer place to shop.

"I was all for it because I don't think King Street is safe for mums with their prams," said Knutsford resident Peter Latchford. "The cars drive so close to you."

One woman, who used to work in a shop in King Street, said she had been concerned about the cars for years.

"Our customers used to be put off by the car fumes and some said the problem was so bad they might not come back to the town again," she said.

But another shopper, from Sandbach, urged the council to leave the street alone.

"I don't like change and I think pedestrianising Knutsford would just make it look the same as everywhere else," she said.

Many of those questioned were anxious to now know where the £600,000 - set aside for the car ban scheme - would be spent.

But on Monday, technical services boss Steve Whitehurst said that was still unclear.

The final decision to axe pedestrianisation is expected to be rubber-stamped at the next full meeting of Macclesfield Borough Council.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.