Discover Hertford Online Forum

Reply ID 578

I think you are dead right. It would be cheaper in the long term to make proper provision for town centre traffic and parking rather than mess about with silly little schemes every few years. We all know the problems, we all live with traffic jams, cars cutting across the town centre market to get to Folly Island, cancelled town events, cars parked everywhere.........We need something more radical.

Reply ID 579

I believe this debate is still going to rage on in the Mercury this Friday as several people have already been rung. There was to be a complete revamp of Bull Plain that was not put up as part of the general public consultation (ha ha) as the local traders strongly objected and its back to the drawing board. However I think this is only temporary as the long term plans (see my note on skateboard park) will of neccessity involve Bull Plain. Although Hertford is the county town most of the decisions affecting its health are made at District level by councillors representing wide rural areas, who I doubt ever walk through the town centre. And at most only see Hertford from the bypass as they turn up to Wallfields for meetings. One side effect of the new swathe of late night planning applications that didn't make the front page was that with the concentration of resources on the over 18's, or even over 21's the youth are going to feel even more isolated and with that comes more anti social problems in a town soon to be awash with bars, restaurants and clubs. The directive from District is that the county should promote its unique market towns. If they want people to wander around town centres like Hertford with its wide variety of small shops, then it is no good fining visitors £50 for overstaying in the car parks by a couple of minutes. I hope the idea of Pay on Exit (or Pay on Foot - or pay for the time you have stayed in the car park) has not been finally squashed - after all, that is what the electorate wanted.

Reply ID 583

Very interesting to see the conversation trail about night time trade versus day time trade. I run the Stone House and sit on numerous committees within town as do a number of your members, Hertford is a fantastic town and there are many people out there behind the scenes doing a wonderful job. From Hertford Fun Day, which will be huge next year - building on last years success and the 'new medieval night'. I would like to comment on a few things. Transport in town is high on a lot of peoples' agendas, the Transport Forum has been involved in the Highways Departments thoughts and considerations; their (our) concerns are for the town, no more no less - as a team it is highly irritating to be critised for the upcoming plans. Everyone has a chance to have input, severally or through the numerous groups active in town, the feeling I get is that we either work together or they don't bother at all. Likewise with the evening v daytime econmy, I represent the evening economy on the town centre management board and recognise the arguement about the 'dying daytime trade'. However the daytime operators need to quit posting comments in the ever responsive Mercury about the difference. There is a very active competitve nature in the late night trade in town, very right and extremely good for the people of Hertford. I have never seen such a well behaved and responsible group of customers who travel for miles who travel to their county town as the thousands we see every week. Years ago we had a butcher, other retail competitors tried to enter the market but were forced out by the then cartel in town. That was the start of the decline in day time trade. Let's embrace the quite extraordinary success of the night time trade instead of blaming it.

Reply ID 585

Personally, I am all for the booming night time life in Hertford. It gives me options for going out without having to make the drink or drive decision. It also makes me feel safer to walk about in the dark where there are lots of people and activities. I don't think anyone is too upset with Hertford's new "cool" image. The problem is trying to get the daytime trade protected and boosted so that we don't get a ghost town of boarded up shops and charity shops. Part of the problem for day time shoppers are the current parking and traffic arrangements - that's why this thread very quickly moved on to that. Don't get me started on the so-called traffic flow consultation.....