Hexham is a classic example of a market town with a large rural catchment area relying heavily on private vehicles. Our town's rich heritage past is one of its best selling points and therin lies the reason its infrastructure has evolved the way it has. Much more positive traffic management in and around the Market Place is only a matter of time as more vehicles fight for limited space at the expense of the people who are the very life-blood of town centre business. Luckily he was not seriously hurt but we understand the ensuing traffic chaos did nothing for town centre profit margins. Streets were originally designed for people who now find themselves being in creasingly threatened by traffic volume, speed, pollution and environmental degradation.
Congestion costs the nation millions every day.
The need to introduce traffic management in Hexham was one of the key recommendations contained in the EDAW report commissioned by Hexham Community Partnership last year. Without doubt, the time is right to debate the limited options which would mark edly improve the current situation and bring tangible benefits to everyone who lives, works, visits or invests in Hexham. The planned free transport link from Wentworth is welcomed by Hexham Civic Society, but it is so important that it is pollution free. The society is keen to play its part in a much-needed traffic management debate and is planning an opportunity for full debate in the Queen's Hall on November 20th.