Funds for new street scheme (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Funds for new street scheme

10:10am Monday 29th September 2008

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BLACK Jack Street in Cirencester will be pedestrianised after a £30,000 chunk of funding was agreed by Gloucestershire County Council.

The scheme had been in the pipeline for some time with a £70,000 development grant from Wildmoor providing the bulk of the £100,000 needed for the work.

However obtaining the remaining money proved difficult for Gloucestershire Highways. With fewer developers investing in the town, Gloucestershire County Council was unable to strike deals for house building and other developments.

But this week Julie Girling, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, agreed to provide £30,000 in capital resources to complete the work.

It is being carried out as part of Wildmoor's redevelopment of the old post office depot and will also see the road surface relaid.

Once pedestrianised, the only vehicles permitted down the street will be emergency and delivery vehicles.

Businesses In Black Jack Street welcomed the news.

Andy Lambert, assistant manager of Jesse Smith Family Butchers, said: "It’s going to be safer for pedestrians because a lot of motorists do use it as a rat-run.

"When the building work is finished people will be coming through to Black Jack Street from the post office and pop in.

"We do get a lot of passing trade at weekends and this should make us busier."

Bill Daley, landlord of The Crown, said: "To pedestrianise it would top it off nicely and make it a bit of a nicer street. There’s a lot more residents moved in now.

Claudia Norman of woman’s clothing store Mirage said: "There would be more people wandering around and, especially if they have children, they would prefer it to be pedestrianised."

• Sadly the good news has been marred by a political row with Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both claiming responsibility for the success.

The news of funding was announced on Monday by Lynden Stowe, leader of Cotswold District Council, claiming Conservatives had secured the money.

Cotswold District Council’s Cirencester Cabinet Member John Burgess was quick to take the credit and criticise the town's Lib Dem county councillors.

"I have lobbied for the work to be supported from capital funding in the absence of any action from our Liberal Democrat county councillors over the past three years," he said.

After seeing this, Roger Brown, Lib Dem county councillor for Cirencester, said: "They have done bugger all apart from Julie Girling rubber stamping it.

"I’m steaming mad. I have spent 18 months working on behalf of these people and the Tories claimed the brownie points.

"I just think it's ridiculous. What it comes down to is gamesmanship and the fact that John Burgess wants to be a county councillor."

Lynden Stowe responded to this by saying: "It would be the ultimate travesty if Brown or Nash claimed any credit for this project.

"Being frank, Liberal Democrats haven't actually done anything for the town in five years. The improvements now coming through in Cirencester are down to the Conservative-led CDC and GCC councils.

"My colleagues at GCC say that Black Jack Street has barely registered on the Brown/Nash radar."

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