Closure of Wellingborough town centre road this weekend

Drivers face disruption with the closure of a town centre road this weekend.

Traffic will be unable to use Silver Street in Wellingborough town centre on Sunday (September 27) due to work being carried out by Anglian Water.

While the closure could cause some disruption for drivers unable to use the one-way street, it is hoped the work will be completed in a day.

A spokesman for Anglian Water described it as a 'fairly routine job' and added: "Our team will be working in the road on Sunday, September 27, in order to make a new connection to the water network so the road closure should be removed on the same day and down in time for Monday morning."

Signs are in place in Silver Street warning drivers of Sunday's closure.

But while some may view the road being closed to traffic as an inconvenience, it has been welcomed by others.

Samuel Shoesmith has been a fan of cycling for a long time and in the past year has got into walking too, to the point that he now considers himself an 'active travel advocate.'

He thinks the closure is a great opportunity to see the road clear of traffic and open to people on bicycles, in wheelchairs, mobility scooters and on foot without the worry of traffic going past.

Samuel said: "On Sunday, I will be down going to see the shops up and down Silver Street.

"I never usually go down this road because it is awful.

"I just dislike it, the noise is terrible and the danger is so off putting.

"It is not possible to simply cross the street where it is convenient.

"And then there's the pollution constantly being pumped out.

"Most of the drivers which cut through here are not using the town centre to shop or use the facilities but instead cutting through from London Road direction hoping to either nip up to go to residences north of the town centre or the same or to Kettering.

"The town centre should be a destination which people want to go to, not a through route.

"There was neither a consultation to ask whether residents of the town wanted this massive quantity of motor traffic.

"I have been asking the council for years to make this car free.

"These Anglian Water works mean that for the first time in a long time, Wellingborough town centre will have its first car free Sunday.

"World Car Free Day was on Tuesday, September 22, and of course Wellingborough didn't do anything for that.

"It is coincidental that this falls the following Sunday.

"As an active travel advocate, I have encouraged members of the Critical Mass group to enjoy the peace and quiet and break from having the constant stream of traffic cutting through our town centre.

"Report after report confirms that without motor traffic and pedestrianising the town centre will help the local economy.

"People shopping, without the risks stated above, are more likely to linger and spend more money.

"With motor traffic stopped, it makes the town centre more appealing and people.

"People are more likely to buy goods and enjoy services.

"People can have a coffee in Castello Lounge, a drink in The Hind Hotel or maybe pop into the Horseshoe in the evening without all the problems generated from motor traffic close to people.

"Drivers should use the ring road to get to their destination either north of the town or if they are passing through from Milton Keynes direction to Kettering.

"The roads, the A45 and A509 are built to sustain that quantity of traffic.

"They are wider and faster roads.

"The town centre was not."

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