More than 3,000 responses to Leamington Parade pedestrianisation plans engagement exercise
The group which is leading the plans to transform the Parade in Leamington into a potentially traffic-free space has hailed the number of responses it received to its engagement exercise on the scheme.
The Leamington Transformation Board, made up of representatives from Warwickshire County Council, Warwick District Council, and Leamington Town Council, received more than 3,100 responses from residents, businesses, and other organisations during the eight-week exercise - which ended on Monday (July 28).
This was far more than is typically expected for an engagement exercise of this kind.
The responses will now be analysed over the next few months before final designs are presented to the public.
Mark Lee, Independent Chair of the Leamington Transformation Board, felt the responses were a sign that the town’s residents and businesses are genuinely invested in its future.
He said: “It is fantastic to see such an incredible number of responses to the engagement exercise on the plans for Parade.
“We didn’t doubt that the plans would generate interest, but to have more than 3,100 individual replies really is amazing.
“It is important to assess the responses carefully and use them to inform the designs for Parade over the next few months.
“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the plans. It means we can develop a final design that will benefit those who live, work in, and visit Leamington.”
The initial plans displayed to the public during the engagement exercise included options to remove vehicular traffic from Parade, with permanent exceptions for emergency vehicles and temporary exceptions for delivery drivers.
It also explored re-routing buses that currently stop at the top of Parade to alternative locations, as well as the opening of a new town square by the Town Hall for events.
The redesign of Parade also prioritised accessibility, and featured a wide mix of seating, trees, planting, and cycle infrastructure.
Further information on the Leamington Transformation programme is available at https://transformingleamington.co.uk/
The idea of pedestrianising the Parade has proven to be controversial in the past.
In October last year , when the idea was mooted again, businesses and residents reacted with opinion being divided.