Parking spaces to be temporarily cut in Market Drayton to ease social distancing
More than a dozen parking spaces in a Shropshire market town centre will be temporarily changed into walkways for pedestrians, to make it easier for shoppers to keep their distance.
As the coronavirus lockdown is relaxed, Shropshire Council has been identifying ways it can make social distancing easier on its historic high streets.
In Market Drayton, councillors and officers have identified Cheshire Street, a main shopping street which is also the site of the historic outdoor market, as one of the places where improvements could be made to help people queue safely outside banks, takeaways, pharmacies and more.
About 20 time-restricted parking spaces down the length of Cheshire Street (individual bays are not marked out) will be cordoned off and made available to pedestrians only, so people walking through the town can get around queues outside of shops without stepping into the road proper.
Two disabled spaces outside Boots will also be made available to pedestrians, as will loading bays at the north end of the street. Some of the parking spaces at the north end will instead be available to use for loading to compensate.
Meanwhile on the nearby High Street, general-use parking on the east side of the road will also be suspended and used for pedestrians. The disabled parking on the opposite side of the road should not be affected.
Market Drayton's mayor and county councillor Roy Aldcroft said: “It has meant the temporary loss of some parking provision, however, if it reduces the possibility of individuals catching or passing on this virus, it will be worthwhile.”
He said that signs are being installed in the streets to prepare for the changes.
The government announced at the end of May that 'non-essential' shops will be able to reopen, with guidelines in place to ensure safety, next Monday.
Market Drayton Library, also in Cheshire Street, will not reopen until at least July 4, in line with government guidance.
Last week Michael Lewis, Shropshire Council’s library service manager, said: “We’re closely engaging with the development of national guidelines for the safe reopening of libraries, so our plans will be informed by that national picture and by local circumstances. Resuming services in a safe way will definitely be the top priority.”
