THE future for AltonÕs Tuesday market looks brighter this week following an agreement by Stagecoach and Hampshire County Council that the bus routes affected by any move to the High Street can be changed on a temporary basis.
Furthermore, fingers are crossed that Alton Initiatives Manager Gail Grant may have come up with a solution to the problem of the temporary road closure.
A site meeting with Mrs Grant has, it seems, served to allay fears surrounding the local bus service, leaving bus chiefs happy with the proposed move.
According to Stagecoach commercial manager Edward Hodgson, there had been some concerns over possible inconvenience to passengers and about the loss of a town centre stop. However, alternative temporary stops have now been identified which he feels will address those concerns.
Hampshire transport officer John Mariner said that he had agreed to work with Stagecoach on providing suitable alternative routes for those buses affected should AltonÕs Tuesday market move from Market Square into the High Street.
Mrs Grant said that with this hurdle out of the way, the hope is that Hampshire County Council will be able to find a legal way in which to close the section of High Street on a temporary basis between Somerfield and the junction with Turk Street to enable a market move by the beginning of October.
She has managed to acquire details of an arrangement for a temporary road closure made by the Borough of Havant to facilitate a similar move of a market into the High Street on an experimental basis, which has managed to overcome opposition raised under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and the 1980 Highways Act.
According to local county councillor Dr Tony Ludlow, the Borough of Christchurch has also managed to overcome a similar problem.
Dr Ludlow was due to discuss these arrangements with HCC as The Herald was going to press in the hope of effecting a similar arrangement in Alton.