Billericay: Sunday traffic count for market study

Town councillors have agreed to spend the money on traffic counts to find out more about the level of disruption closing the High Street for the market would cause.

Town council chairman Cllr Trevor Stansfield said: "In meetings with Basildon District Council, Essex County Council and Essex Police concerns have been raised over safety aspects if the High Street was closed.

"There are also worries over access for emergency vehicles and where the traffic using the High Street would go while it was closed.

"We have agreed to do the traffic counts in order to find out the level of traffic in each of the roads affected by the proposal."

The Town Council unveiled plans for a Sunday market two months ago. Under its proposals an outside market operator would be brought in to run a market between 9am and 2pm.

For this to happen the High Street would need to be closed between Chapel Street and Sun Corner to allow around 100 stalls to be set up.

The council was aiming to set up the market before the end of the year, but it has to get the go ahead from police and Basildon council.

Traffic counts will be carried out over three weeks at three different town centre locations - Western Road, Mountnessing Road and the High Street.

It is hoped it will provide a better picture of the likely increase in traffic flows if the High Street was closed during Sunday.

The Town Council is at the moment talking to High Street businesses informally to find out their reaction to the market plan, but if they got the go ahead the council would have to launch a full scale consultation programme.

Cllr Stansfield said: "We have had no adverse comments so far. People I have spoken to have sounded quite in favour and we believe it will be a real benefit to the town. The real test will come if we go to full public consultation."

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