Brentwood Tories have seized on a statement in the county's transport plan saying it shows the council does want to pedestrianise the High Street.

Brentwood Council's contribution to the Essex's local transport plan says that the most important road scheme in the town is for "through traffic removal in the High Street.''

The Conservatives claim this shows the council is harbouring plans to pedestrianise Brentwood High Street, despite the authority's consistent denials.

Brentwood's contribution to the transport plan includes removal of through traffic from the High Street, workplace parking charges and the emphasising of walking, cycling and public transport as the appropriate means of transport in the town centre.

These make up a combined "carrot and stick" approach to reduce traffic in the town.

Brentwood Council director of technical services, Dave Marchant, said removal of through traffic did not necessarily mean closure of the High Street.

He said it needed to be seen in a wider context of the council's long term aim of encouraging people to use other means of transport.

It was not possible to pick out one phrase and say that meant pedestrianisation when it was part of a bigger picture, a general aim which the authority had, to cut traffic in the town centre, he said.

Every local authority in the county submits a statement of its views on transport in its area, as part of the county council's transport plan, which is still being finalised.

Colin Cranley, principal engineer at Essex County Council, said: "In its abstract sense the removal of through traffic would mean the council wants to remove traffic which is going from one end of the High Street to the other without stopping.

"The means of achieving that are several, one of which could include pedestrianisation in various ways."

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