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Traders 'not lying down' over plans
TRADERS in Bicester's Market Square are pressing ahead with a campaign to halt new parking and traffic plans this week despite news of a funding freeze.
A petition organised by Lynn Wright, of Bicester Bed Centre, now has almost 4,000 signatures opposing the current plans to change the layout of Market Square after being launched four weeks ago.
Last week, Oxfordshire County Council suspended its 750,000 contribution to the Market Square revamp ahead of a capital projects
spending review later this year.
But Mrs Wright said it is important for local authorities to understand that traders desperately want improvements to Market Square, such as new seating and flowers, but do not want what is being proposed, namely the introduction of two-way traffic and the removal of free parking
spaces.
She said: "The word is that the plans have now been shelved, but if you read the small print they've not gone away at all.
"We're not lying down over this. There are 4,000 people who don't want this who have signed. Only three people have signed to say the changes are good.
"We're not adverse to change, and we would like Market Square to be tidied up.
"But what we've got to be careful of is that they shelve it now, then further down the line they scrap it altogether and say, 'but you didn't want it'.
"We want to stay positive, but all along we've said we don't want two-way traffic or a loss of parking."
Mrs Wright said traders supported reducing the speed limit to 20mph, as
well as the introduction of a pedestrian crossing, but said the removal of parking would be a disaster for some businesses.
"Put it this way, I wouldn't bother going down to Market Square for a takeaway in the evening if I couldn't park there," said Mrs Wright.
Ben Jackson, chairman of Bicester Chamber of Commerce, said: "Parking on the Square is helping to sustain the day and night-time economy. Removing this will place a requirement for a significant change in habits by the users."
He said he was glad traders are positive over modernisation, and welcomed further talks on the matter.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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