One Way Mill Street and One Way Market Place to Assist Social Distancing in Oakham

Councillor Lucy Stephenson, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Rutland County, has provided information about temporary traffic measures on Mill Street and in Market Place, Oakham, following a request from 4Oakham and Oakham Town Council:

I am not sure how this is a request from Oakham Town Council when you consider the pointless Oakham Town Council only just discussing this and the re-opening of Oakham high street at this evenings. A very pointless council.


Councillor Lucy Stephenson says

As more sections of our local economy reopen and people return to town centres to shop and socialise in greater numbers, it’s important that we have the right conditions in place to help businesses operate and keep everyone safe.

4Oakham and Oakham Town Council have made a request for temporary traffic measures on Mill Street and in Market Place, providing more pavement space for pedestrians to social distance and outdoor seating areas for food and drink businesses.

These temporary measures will be introduced from Thursday 16 July. From Thursday, a one-way system will be in place along Mill Street in Oakham, with vehicles travelling from north to south, in the direction of Oakham Fire Station.

A one-way system will also be introduced in Oakham Market Place, where access will be via Market Street only. These measures will be lifted on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when the barriers will be set aside to accommodate the market and stallholders.

On-street parking will be retained on Mill Street and in Market Place while these measures are in place.

The measures are necessary – because these are busy areas with narrow footpaths – and will hopefully boost business by giving more people the confidence to shop local. We must continue to do what’s needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 within our communities and we would like to thank residents for continuing to follow national guidance.




Looking at the maps published the widening of the footpath appears to be the wrong side. People are often blocking the narrow pavement on the other side whilst waiting to enter the small shops.

I personally don't see any issue in the market place, there are points of the high street where the path is narrow and people have to walk in the busy road.

4Oakham is a new group of local people supported by Rutland County Council who may do what you would expect our Town Council to do.