Sir, – With reference to the exhibition mounted at The Maltings, I would like to make points:-
(a) If you close Downing Street and the Borough to one lane each you will gridlock the town, surely the deliveries for the West Side could be delivered via the Central Car park as they mostly have back entrances.
This actually happened recently when a beer lorry turned over at Shepherd & Flock and the whole town was gridlocked for many hours and traffic was blocked back to the Bull Inn at Bentley and way back on the A31 with no bus services. This should not have happened if the road system was properly worked out.
Alternatively ban all deliveries between 8-30 and 6 pm and rigidly enforce the ban by the police, not let it go as at present.
(b) If you have a crossing at the bottom of Castle Street (in the Borough) it will be dangerous as it will be too close to the bus stops.
(c) Traffic through Farnham will be slower as the town will be gridlocked and all heavy lorries should be banned from the town during the day; they should skirt the outside of the town.
(d) "Shepherd and Flock traffic lights make less of a rat run through through the town". I only wish the County Council staff would come into Farnham town centre for a day and see just how much traffic comes through.
(e) I have already mentioned the non-enforcement of the no delivery by-law. This must be rigidly enforced. I mentioned this at the exhibition and was told that the shop-keepers did not want deliveries from the rear. They should be told that deliveries would be at the rear for the safety of the general public from where they get their livings.
(f) By-pass and the extra lane going westwards, why only westwards??? it is needed both ways, yes I repeat both ways.
(g) The A31 does not provide essential relief for through traffic as a great deal is still coming through Farnham Town Centre.
(h) The A325 alternative route has been needed since the late 1940s. It is time something was done with a great deal of urgency, not sidelined.
I have noted that there is to be a bus interchange system in South Street with new bus shelters.
Why South Street may I ask? If you are pedestrianising East Street / Woolmead why not use the existing facilities??? The bus shelters, both of them , have only recently been replaced and the area is used much more than South Street. Another point that can easily be checked.
What will happen to Downing Street whilst the pavement widening / road narrowing goes on?
Re-vamp the bypass first like was proposed in 1988/89 with four lanes of traffic under Firgrove Bridge to clear the notorious bottle-neck and then do any facelift in the town, not the other way round as at present planned.
Most of the alterations planned for the town probably would not be required if the unloading problems were sorted out.
R A Parker
Baldreys, Farnham