Proposals for a one-way system for Witham have emerged from a group representing community and business leaders.

Members of the Witham town centre strategy group have proposed a two-phase system designed to relieve traffic in Newland Street and around the railway station, the two major traffic bottlenecks in the town.

David Alton, of Alton Design Associates, in Bridge Street, is a new member of the strategy group.

He proposes making The Avenue one-way from the station towards Newland Street, and Collingwood Road one-way from Newland Street towards the station.

The second phase would involve restricting Newland Street between its junctions with Guithavon Street and Mill Lane to buses and taxis only.

Private cars would drive along a widened Mill Lane and The Avenue towards Colchester, or along Collingwood Road and Mill Lane towards Chelmsford.

Pedestrianisation in Witham has been ruled out by Essex County Council because of the arterial nature of most of the town centre roads.

Paul Ryland, chairman of the town centre strategy group, believes a one-way system could overcome those concerns while easing the town's traffic congestion.

Published Friday August 20, 2004

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