Your Questions Answered
How will the works impact on the Town Centre?
Updates – 21st April 2010
If you have any further questions, please contact us on 01462 476007
Q. The roadway and pedestrian areas are on the same level, how are the areas defined to keep everyone safe?
A. The roadway edge will be defined by bollards, seating, garden features and other street furniture; there will also be a 20mph speed limit for the complete length of the roads.
This will help create a pedestrian-friendly town centre with greater access for all.
Q. Why is the Birds Hill roundabout being altered and enlarged?
A. This was a requirement for the scheme by Hertfordshire County Council.
Q. Won’t the larger roundabout mean a narrower road and cause traffic to build up?
A. No – the roads coming onto the roundabout have been made wider to accommodate two lanes of traffic.
Q. Why is only part of the Eastcheap and Leys Avenue carriageway in the new stone and the rest tarmac?
A. This is to easily identify the parts of the road which give priority to pedestrians, with the tarmac parts giving priority to traffic. It will also provide a link through from the Shopping Centre to The Wynd.
Q. What is the substance around the base of the trees in Eastcheap; can the trees still get water?
A. This is a porous material known as Arboresin. It allows both water and air to circulate freely around the tree and its root system but doesn’t have the problems associated with loose gravel or tarmac.
Q. Is the junction with Eastcheap and Leys Avenue nearly finished?
A. The area around this junction at the top of Leys Avenue will be open to pedestrians by the end of February. The street furniture will be erected later in the programme.
Q. When will traffic start to drive down Leys Avenue?
A. At the completion of the contract which is currently scheduled for May.
Q. Are the Street Scene works deterring new retailers from coming to the town?
A. Absolutely not! New tenants have taken premises in Station Road, Leys Avenue and Arena Parade.
There are also exciting new shops in The Wynd offering a wide range, including specialists selling fashion, accessories, original printed clothing, luxury toiletries and scented oils.
Q. Why has Leys Avenue been gated off with no access allowed?
A. To ensure the safety of all, NHDC issued a road closure order when granting planning permission.
Q. What happens to the stone and slabs when they are removed?
A. Materials are re-used where-ever possible. The stone and slabs are crushed and used as a sub-base.
Q. What will Leys Square look like once the work is completed?
A. Displayed in the Tourist Information Shop, Station Road and the Skanska office, Leys Avenue is a small graphic of the vision of the completed works. A larger version is situated at 22-24 Leys Avenue. (The former Dreams store)
Q. Why aren’t there any cycle lanes in the new scheme?
A. The streets have been designed to have a pedestrian focus, with cycle parking provision throughout both Eastcheap and Leys Avenue. A narrower carriageway, 20 mph speed restriction and a revised one way system will all contribute to creating a safer environment for all.
Q. There were steps on the original plan for Leys Square, will they still be built?
A. No. One of the conditions laid down by NHDC was that the steps were removed from the design
Q. When the work is complete, will council taxpayers have to pay more to maintain it?
A. No, it will cost taxpayers less. In the same way that the Heritage Foundation is funding the work, in order to maintain the high standard it will retain responsibility for much of the ongoing maintenance and will pay the cost of it, including the maintenance of the pedestrian areas, seating, water features, sculptures, new trees, plants and landscaping at no cost to the council tax payer.
The County Council will be responsible for the upkeep of the road surface.
Q. Will the new plants and trees be better cared for than the contents of the existing brick planters have been?
A. Yes. The Heritage Foundation is developing, with NHDC, a maintenance programme to look after all the works to a standard that reflects the high quality of the new environment.
Q. Why is this work being done?
A. Five key targets were identified in 2005 to assist in preventing Letchworth Garden City town centre from falling further down the nation retail league.
- An improved environment generally for the shopper
- A 'family friendly' town centre, both in terms of 'offer' and environment.
- Bigger and better retail units to attract more quality national multiples
- New smaller retail units to support existing and attract new independent retailers
- More and better quality parking with easy access
The change to the Streetscene is the first step to achieve these targets. The Wynd and Arena redevelopments are coming next.
Q. Will individual shops have to be shut while work is carried out in front of them?
A. No; access will be maintained at all times with walkways up to each doorway. The walkways will be approx 1.2m – 1.5m wide.
Q. What will The Heritage Foundation do about security after the works are completed?
A. We are working with stakeholders to agree a co-ordinated security strategy for the town. This should include enhanced lighting, domed CCTV cameras and additional security personnel.
Q. Why is the roundabout at the top of Leys Avenue being removed and replaced with traffic lights?
A. The removal of the roundabout creates a new pedestrian open space by the Hogshead. This is where the new sculptures and water features will be.
The traffic lights also mean that new pedestrian crossing points can be created which will be an improvement on the existing crossings.
Q. Why opt for nose-in parking when some people believe it’s going to be difficult and dangerous to reverse out?
A. Drive-in bays have been used to increase pedestrian safety. Drivers will be pulling into the bay and therefore aware of pedestrians on the footway. The bays will be larger than the standard requirement to assist in improved visibility.
The proposed arrangement for parking is intended to free up as much space as possible for ease of pedestrian movement.
Q. What are the reasons for the reversal of traffic flow?
A. To reduce the through traffic to help create a pleasant and pedestrian-friendly town centre.