'Live trial' pedestrianisation of Leighton Buzzard High Street will aid social distancing and be benchmark for Central Bedfordshire

To help shoppers adhere to Covid-19 social distancing requirements, the High Street will be closed to vehicles and Lake Street will be made one-way, as soon as the temporary traffic measures are in place.

The experimental closure is part of an 18-month traffic order which “will change the dynamic” of deliveries to premises and the way the High Street operates, a meeting heard.

No access will be given to buses, while taxis are restricted as to where they can park, Central Bedfordshire Council’s traffic management meeting was told.

The system including the Leighton Buzzard High Street closure could pave the way for similar schemes in other parts of Central Bedfordshire.

This is an 18-month experimental order to look at closure of the High Street to vehicles, according to Central Bedfordshire Council’s team leader traffic management Paul Salmon.

“This would stop buses going through the centre, and change the dynamic with deliveries and how the whole High Street functions,” he said.

“The purpose of this is to enable social distancing on the High Street and to remove the risk and conflict of vehicles to pedestrians, allowing them to queue outside stores and keep the 2m distance.

“We want to abide by our obligations to keep the public safe, which we have been tasked by the government to do. No formal consultation has taken place as yet. The only way we can see all the outcomes is to do a live trial.

“We can change the system overnight,” he added. “We can change the times, and amend as we move forward if things continue to open or if they have to close again.

“We need to consider public transport, buses, to ensure people can still get to the high street, some (shop) deliveries and our taxi services.

“For taxis, we are considering relocation on Lake Street as part of the one-way system.

“This could be the benchmark for how CBC moves forward.”

Leighton Linslade town clerk Mark Saccoccio explained it wants the market to return to the High Street as soon as possible.

Its current location in the Hockliffe Street car park limits the ability to cater for non-food retail uses.

“We do support the order which we think is great news,” he said. “The devil is in the detail as to how it will be implemented.”

Gennaro Borrelli, who chairs the independent traders’ group LB First and the Federation of Small Businesses special interest group in Leighton Buzzard, said: “I would add my support, even if it’s on a temporary basis.

“We need to look for innovative solutions. I support the importance of getting our market moved back into the High Street. We need to provide safe space for people to walk.

“We’ve just had the results of a survey by City Dressing which showed people want more pedestrianisation and widening of pavements.”

Conservative Arlesey councillor Ian Dalgarno, who chaired the meeting, said: “We don’t have all the solutions at this point. We have to be reactive to problems we’re not even aware of yet."

He backed the recommendation to implement the experimental orders, which highways officers will implement as soon as they can.