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Traffic wardens will soon be able to fine drivers who flout Spalding pedestrian zone




Motorists will be fined if they continue to ignore a town centre pedestrian zone once stronger new rules come into force next year.

Spalding’s Market Place and Hall Place should be out of bounds to vehicles between 10am and 4pm under the current traffic regulation order (TRO) which is frequently ignored by drivers who continue to travel through the town centre during those hours.

Lincolnshire County Council has now re-written the rules and has promised that the new order will have teeth - with traffic wardens being able to issue fines rather than enforcement powers remaining solely in the hands of the police.

Parking bays in Spalding's Market Place could be removed
Parking bays in Spalding's Market Place could be removed

Under the new rules, all the on-street parking in Market Place will be removed — and there will be the introduction of no-waiting restrictions and restricting access for vehicles between Sheep Market and Hall Place at all times.

Calls to stop cars travelling through the town centre have been made for many years and a consultation was conducted last year when the majority of the 815 people who responded wanted no general vehicle access on weekdays and Saturdays.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Spalding Town Forum meeting, chairman Coun Rob Gibson, who has been working on revamping the order with fellow county councillor Liz Sneath, said: “Having teeth is the bit that what we definitely wanted to definitely make sure happened.

Coun Rob Gibson
Coun Rob Gibson

“Once the TRO is re-written traffic wardens can police if anyone parks in there, however they shouldn’t be able to park there as they shouldn’t be able to drive in, ie there will be a barrier.

“If they park overnight the traffic warden can enforce it. If they remove the barrier the police can enforce it.

“We have been having gentle conversations with the police over the last five months to say when this goes live we will need support from the police and the feeling from the police is that they will be there to support us.”

Concerns have been raised about a sewage smell in the Hall Place and Market Place, Spalding
Concerns have been raised about a sewage smell in the Hall Place and Market Place, Spalding

Matt Hogan, the district council’s assistant director for Strategic Growth and Development, gave an update on the progress of the order during the last town forum meeting.

He said the order had made it through the legal steps and that the county council was now working up effective signage - which must be lit to show that the TRO was enforceable.

Mr Hogan: “I am pleased to report that LCC are now in a position to issue the new TRO.”

Parking bays in Spalding's Market Place could be removed
Parking bays in Spalding's Market Place could be removed

Coun Gibson said that it had been a ‘long wait’ for the TRO changes to come through and everything had to be done correctly to ensure it worked.

He sad: “Coun Liz Sneath and I are very keen to get this up and into place as soon as possible.

Coun Sneath stressed to the meeting that the number of disabled spaces around the town centre will be increasing.

Coun James Le Sage asked what will happen to market traders who sometimes pack up at 2pm and if they would be prevented from bringing their vehicles onto Market Place but he was reassured that there is a dispensation for stallholders.

Pedals member David Jones highlighted a number of car parks around the town centre to reassure the public.

He went onto say: “I would like to remind the public that the greatest culprits of anti-social behaviour are actually motorists.”

Coun Richard Davies, executive councillor for Highways, the said: “We’ve been through the consultation process for the Spalding, Broad Street, Market Place and Hall Place – proposed changes to access restrictions and waiting restrictions, and Sheep Market, Red Lion Street and Double Street – proposed changes to waiting restrictions, and not received any objections.

"The detail of the proposals is to restrict vehicular access into Market Place, Hall Street and Broad St from it’s junction with between 10am and 4pm daily but maintain access for deliveries and other activities pertaining to property, highway and utility maintenance, outside these times. A prohibition of driving is also proposed to restrict vehicular access between Sheep Market and Hall Place at all times, again to enhance pedestrian safety.

"Works are underway to order and install the necessary traffic signage and it should be that the scheme will be in place early next year."

Over the years, cars have been seen to drive the wrong way through the town centre - while also breaking the order - and there have been a number of issues where vehicles and pedestrians have nearly been in collision.

In 2022, a peaceful protest in Broad Street to prevent vehicles from ignoring the order resulted in a nasty encounter when an aggressive van driver drove right up close and only stopped when one of the pedestrians bravely sat down in front of the vehicle. He then went onto have aggressive confrontation with the group.

The Rev John Bennett, who retired earlier this year, had also stood his ground during a confrontation with a car driver, who was violating the pedestrian zone in 2022.

Are you pleased that traffic wardens will be able to fine motorists who ignore the order? Post a comment below…



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