Hundreds of people marched from the Market Place in Oakhamtoday to protest about a proposed one-way-system for the town.
At the end of the march, campaign group OK2WAY handed in a petition at the county council’s offices in the town, which received around 3,000 signatures and is calling for a referendum on whether Oakham should get the one-way-system.
BBC East Midland Political Correspondent was told to stop filming in the public area
of Rutland County Council.
Tim Norton, chairman of OK2WAY, said: “We are going to do all we can to get it overturned. “It was designed by somebody on a laptop who probably hasn’t ever been to Oakham.”
The Town Centre issue is nothing new, it has dragged on for years. In 2014 the local paper described
a one way traffic system plans as REVOLUTIONARY along with plans to improve the centre of Oakham.
At the same time the idea of pedestrianising part of the town centre has been mooted as the logical next step once the bypass was opened. Traders in Oakham feared the impact of both developments could prove a double whammy. Rutland Chamber of Trade set out its stall for a one-way system which would have made most of the benefits of the bypass – taking heavy traffic away from the town centre – while still making it easy for people to pop into town, park and shop. Peter Jones was chairman of the chamber and was opposed to pedestrianisation but said a one-way traffic system would be boost trade and be better for elderly and disabled people. He said: "The chamber has got very strong views on pedestrianisation wholesale – it would be fatal. It would kill the town. But what we have thought has always been advantageous would be a one-way system." The proposed one-way system would have run down the High Street from Mill Street roundabout up to New Street, next to Somerfield now Wi. Traffic approaching Oakham from the south would travel left down Station Road then turn into Burley Road towards Mill Street. There would be a short twoway traffic stretch on the High Street to allow traffic to access Westgate car park, the BP garage, Somerfield and Tesco. Mr Jones said: "You then have the possibility of widening the pavement and creating herringbone parking. It would also mean we could encourage small cafs in the summer. We could plant more trees and have benches and street furniture to make the whole High Street more attractive. "If we made it more pedestrianised, we would lose parking spaces, this way we would increase parking." Rutland's director of environmental services, Phil Trow said the idea could be investigated. He said: "There are all sorts of possibilities to improve the town once the bypass is in place which could include partial pedestrianisation or one-way traffic." Sally Holmes, who runs a florists in the High Street, is in favour of pedestrianisation. She said: "I think it would make the High Street look very attractive and it would be easier for a lot of elderly people to walk around." Oakham Mayor Peter Moore said he could see there would be advantages in pedestrianisation but was concerned of any possible impact on trade. He said: "It would make Oakham a more attractive place but would we lose trade? I hope the bypass still goes through, any hold up now will increase the cost." In January 2014 1,000 people filed through the doors of Victoria Hall to view an exhibition of the proposed scheme.
What is interesting about this is the plans back then were not much different back in 2004 apart
from the One Way was to flow the other way, which is currently quite a few peoples preference.
Also among the protesters was Mrs Clifton the Chairman of Rutland Conservative.
Objecting to a decision made by The Conservative Cabinet.
