Leighton Buzzard businesses left frustrated as they claim bollards cause problems with deliveries

Shopkeepers told the LBO that the bollards were erected last Wednesday (September 23), but claim there is now nowhere for lorries to drop off their stock and that they weren’t even consulted about the changes.

However, Central Beds Council says that the bollards are necessary to better enable residents to maintain social distancing when walking into town.

Frustrated with Central Beds Council, Phil Thompson, of The Bald Buzzard Micropub, posted on social media: “What exactly do you think you are achieving by erecting these fixed bollards in Hockliffe Street?

“You put the temporary plastic ones in which were hated by everyone, now you put up fixed ones with not one moment of consultation with businesses or residents.

“Perhaps you could explain how I am to unload 40kg casks of beer into my pub?

“When will you stop implementing these hair-brained schemes without even consulting those effected.”

Mr Thompson told the LBO: “I’m really annoyed that they can do this without consulting us. We’ve not had any kind of contact.

“The problem is that if the draymen can’t stop within a reasonable distance, they won’t stop. It’s a huge problem.”

Paulo Benfeito, owner of Amore Pizzeria, claimed: “We weren’t consulted at all. The first time we found out about them was when they put them up.

“Now when we reverse [out of our yard] we almost hit the pavement on the other side of the road. People walking behind us have to stop. It’s just not safe. We have got to reverse straight back and then turn because the barriers are there [and too close to the yard entrance].”

CBC had previously put large orange barriers along Hockliffe Street, but Mr Benfeito said they had been taken away around one month ago.

He claimed: “They were causing so much hassle andkept being run over by lorries. People were also walking in the middle of the road.

“When they were gone it was beautiful. Things were back to normal. Now I will have to divert all my deliveries, such as flour, to Amore Bakery in Great Billington.

“One business had a delivery [lorry] that stopped in the middle of the road.

“There were cars on the corner that couldn’t see what was happening and were honking like crazy.

“There was also a massive lorry that ran over four or five bollards on Thursday. It’s causing friction, but what can we do? What’s the point?”

Paulo is now considering moving their deliveries to a different location from the restaurant.

A Central Bedfordshire Council spokesperson said: “The barriers are in place on both Bridge Street and Hockliffe Street to provide pedestrians with additional footway width, to assist with social distancing. The busy footways on both roads are narrow, particularly so on Hockliffe Street.

“There is an existing parking restriction outside of the Bald Buzzard - ‘No waiting at any time’. Hence, for a number of years (and pre-dating the arrival of the brewery) it has not been permissible to park a vehicle outside this and other adjacent shop units, other than briefly to load and offload passengers and equipment.

“By parking here, vehicles are contravening the restriction and could receive a penalty notice. They also obstruct the contraflow cycle lane, creating conflicts.

“Officers and councillors are liaising with the various businesses on Hockliffe Street to discuss how best to programme deliveries given the constraints caused by the narrow width of the road, set against its importance as a main pedestrian route.”

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