Bollards or ANPR cameras? Solving the problem of traffic in Stamford High Street

Choosing between bollards and cameras to crack down on traffic is proving a head-scratcher for people wanting the best for their town.

The two methods are being considered by Stamford Town Council members, who are keen to stop rogue vehicles driving on the pedestrianised High Street.

Keeping the area safe for shoppers has been a concern since the town centre’s partial pedestrianisation in the 1970s, and recent confusion over High Street signs - and an upsurge in cafes having outdoor seating - has added to the issue.

Coun Kelham Cooke, who represents Stamford on the highways authority Lincolnshire County Council, is now also mayor of Stamford.

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At a meeting in the town hall in St Mary’s Hill on Tuesday, he recapped options that have so far been discussed.

The first is bollards to block access to High Street from Red Lion Square, St Paul’s Street, Maiden Lane and down Ironmonger Street.

The second is automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras that would log the registrations of vehicles not supposed to be there.

Drivers can access Stamford High Street before 10am and after 4pm, allowing deliveries to shops and for the market to be set up and packed away.

Coun Cooke said there is Lincolnshire County Council funding available for bollards, which once installed would need to be locked in an upright position by an operative from 10am to 4pm, and taken down for the hours when access is permitted.

Drivers of emergency vehicles would have a keycode enabling them to access the High Street whenever needed.

Coun Max Sawyer sees these as a quick fix for a specific problem that he considers to be a major issue.

Coun Cooke agreed that it was “completely inappropriate to have random vehicles going past when you are sitting outside Scandimania having a coffee”.

But rather than settle on a quick fix, Coun Jonathan Waples urged members to consider that ANPR cameras might cost between £2,000 and £4,000 each to install, and then would not need an operative’s daily involvement in the same way as the bollards.

He suggested ANPR could also deal with transgressions of Stamford town centre’s 7.5 tonne weight restriction.

Coun Lisa Brewin felt the ANPR system could not be completely automated, because drivers and delivery firms might well query the computer-generated letters, rather than settling for fines without a fight.

Coun Cooke resolved to go back to Lincolnshire County Council to find out the cost of installing ANPR cameras and how much operative involvement there would be, and the same for the bollards option.

He will bring the figures to a future meeting, and said he hoped representatives from the highways department would come to the town hall to talk to town councillors directly.

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