Will one-way street in busy town be a 'disaster'?

A town centre high street could undergo a significant change under plans to make it more pedestrian friendly.

Hadleigh High Street in Suffolk has been identified by Suffolk County Council as part of its active travel strategy, which sees government funding designed to make "walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice for everyone to get around in England".

The proposals, which could see the high street changed to a one-way system with larger pavements and 20mph limits in some parts of the town, are being consulted on until 20 July.

What do people living in the town think?

Angela Evans told the BBC she thought the one-way system could create problems in surrounding roads and could push people away from the town centre.

"We've already got closed shops here, who are all these people they're widening the pavements for?" she asked.

Serita Whymark, who uses a mobility scooter, said Hadleigh High Street could be a "dangerous road" and she would like to see more crossings installed to help people to cross.

"You get a lot of young people speeding up and down the road, so if it was one-way, they'd have to go slower," she said.

Alice Sargeant owns a shop on the high street. She raised concerns about the construction of the one-way system.

"Anything that happens like that, seems to take a very long time. In that time I feel customers are going to be looking to shop elsewhere and possibly won't return."

Melissa Collier works at the business and said she had concerns about a potential loss of parking on the high street, which is one of the few places visitors can park for free.

The council proposals said it would include "keeping parking available" but there was no detail about how much there would be.

Hadleigh resident Reg Smith said introducing a one-way system would be a "complete disaster".

He said: "We've got too many elderly residents walking across the road and the speed of one-way traffic is just too much for them."

The co-owner of a hair salon on the high street said she was in favour of the plans.

Sharon Wilkinson said: "It can be quite dodgy out here with the amount of traffic going each way and cars parked either side of the carriageway."

She said any changes needed to make sure there was parking for people with disabilities.

Resident Russell Moore said "in theory" he thought it was a good idea but had concerns around where the traffic would go and if the project could push people away from the town centre.

He said the independent shops on the high street were "very good and a big part of the attraction of Hadleigh, so you have to be very, very careful that you don't kill the golden goose".

His wife Linda said she thought wider pavements would be a good idea for people with buggies and mobility scooters and she would like to see a crossing installed at either end of the high street.

Stuart Hasler, who owns a butcher's on the high street, said a more pedestrianised high street could be a "really good thing."

He said: "Using the one-way traffic slows things down and there would be a lot less confusion.

"We constantly hear the beeping of horns for eight hours a day."

Independent councillor Kathryn Grandon, who represents Hadleigh South, said she thought the move would "really enhance our high street, it'd make it more of a destination to come to and make the atmosphere here more leisurely".

She said she liked the idea of people being able to sit outside cafes and restaurants on the wider pavements.

"There will be parking still in the high street, that's really vital that we keep some free parking here."

Suffolk County Council's proposals said the high street "doesn't always feel as easy, safe, or welcoming as it could.

"Pavements can feel narrow and crowded, and crossing the road isn't always straightforward."

"We're exploring ways to make the High Street simpler to move around, safer for everyone, and a place where people want to spend more time—while continuing to support local businesses and the everyday needs of the community."

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