Here is a suggestion for Swanage. Its not original, its something they do in a place called Tiburon in California which is a tourist town a little smaller than Swanage.
Quoting Wikipedia: "On Friday evenings in the spring and summer, the town's Main Street is closed to vehicles and transformed into a large alfresco dining area for "Friday Nights on Main". Local restaurants and bars provide outdoor dining and drinks, with music and lively crowds helping create a festive atmosphere."
This is something we could do in the High Street. I know we have the odd shower here but most summer evenings are dry. The oyster bar shows what can be done. Surely it is something that can be built on.
We already have lots of people sitting at the tables outside the fish plaice and on benches eating fish and chips and enjoying the alfresco experience so why not offer curry, chinese food, pizzas etc on the street as well.
Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 10:33 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
14 comments:
I think this is a great idea, and while we are thinking outside the box, what about some containerised (and sponsored?) trees and shrubs parked on the pavements between shops during the day and moved onto the street on Alfresco Nights? And then there could be fold-up gazebos and umbrellas with lights etc etc - COME ON SOMEONE - JUST DO IT !!!
Just pedestrianise the Lower High St and it will happen naturally.
Pedestrianize the whole town centre and seafront, why is there so much opposition to this ?
I nominate Anonymous to put this in place - great idea!
Oh dear.
Pedestrianisation of Swanage – Station, Institute Rd´s and the High Street.
The lower High Street is a non-runner – see below.
Qu 1 - how far up the High Street? Pier to .... say the library – but why should, Earthlights, The Red, the Bistro, the Black Swan, the Chinese and the Legion miss out on street culture? (I know that I´ve missed one, but please take my point) What about the Globe and the Royal Oak? (pier to Institute Rd – why should the Anchor, and possibly the White Swan, lose out?
Qu2 - how are the residents of Swanage South gunna get home? Bear in mind some of us leave Swanage S after 5pm and don´t get home ´til late, also please bear in mind, that includes Ambulances.
Qu3 - what about people who come over the ferry to enjoy us and our environs?
Mike – if you´re around – could you confirm that STC looked into reversing Church Hill – but there were complaints, and are considering reversing a bit of the High Street, or if I´m wrong then please confirm that.
Cheers.
Nickthefish could be right and pedestrianisation would be good but this idea moves us towards it. There is nothing to stop the restaurants and pubs asking for a once a week closure and if it works making it full time.
I think it would be best to have it driven by local businesses using the space to develop the Swanage experience rather than it being an uncordinated reaction to an official decision. I know getting our councils to agree to anything novel is like trying to roll soup uphill. Better still if local musicians and entertainers were made part of the package and are involved from the start. It is the total concept of an alfresco evening that can sell the idea.
8.45 came on while I was writing. In my original posting I did not say anything about pedestrianising Station road and Institute road. I was thinking of the lower high street and perhaps the stretch from the library to the town hall. In other words where the nosh houses are concentrated.
I cannot see why providing a new and better exerience to our visitors in one area should be bad because it is not being provided in another.
May i suggest we start with the Pier to Jenkins?
8.45 Q1 Those outside this area may benefit from the fact that not all will like this revolutionary idea, and can adapt their business accordingly.
Q2 Up Park Road if necessary.
Q3 No change, but it would be far better if they came by bus. Or put a park and ride around the Old Grammar School area.
Church Hill must be reversed until a long term solution can be found. Getting from Victoria Ave to the Pier can take 15 mins when it is (was) busy. Just taking a few cars out of Station and Inst Roads would make the shopping experience much more pleasant. I am in favour of complete pedestrianisation of these in the future.
May I suggest we start with the Pier to Jenkins?
Yeah, of course, we´ve already had people buying homes near to pubs and then complaining that they live near to a pub! Focussing on such a small area will only enhance these NIMBY´s. The bit about reversing Church Hill, I believe that it was one complaint that stopped it and without the Councils backing it aint gunna happen.
Q1 Those outside this area may benefit from the fact that not all will like this revolutionary idea, and can adapt their business accordingly.
Yeah, maybe, but seems a bit unfair.
Q2 Up Park Road if necessary.
Yeeeaaahhh, but it may well need Double Yellas on one side or t´other – more complaints.
Q3 No change, but it would be far better if they came by bus. Or put a park and ride around the Old Grammar School area.
In a perfect world, I couldn´t agree more, but .........
Church Hill must be reversed until a long term solution can be found.
See above, plus DCC already have an idea that when the Grammar School becomes affordable housing then traffic will be channelled down Northbrook Rd, so why not reverse Nortbrook up over the rail bridge, then feed ´em up Court Hill and then down the High St to Townsend Rd? This´d mean losing a bit of garden to assure a ´safe´ turn, but from my point of view, not too much of a problem.
I am in favour of complete pedestrianisation of these in the future.
Me too!
Let's see how it works out this Thursday (30 July) when the lower High Street is the scene for the Carnival's Masquerade with all the pubs putting on live music from 8pm.
If you look back on this blog to Thursday May 5th, you will see a magazine review about the last Swanage Blues Festival in March, where it says:
"There is a 200 metre-long strip at the start of the High Street in which the nine venues that make up the central core of the event are located. Whenever we walked between pubs the strains of music faded in and out while crowds danced in the street. Gazing up we could even see New Orleans-style architecture to complete the scene!"
Very tentatively I raised the issue of the reversal of Church Hill with someone who actually lives half way down it. ASTONISHMRNT! They said it would be great! No more having to drive through Town to get home! So let’s get on with it.
So, did the town go alfresco on thursday with the dressing up party night?
PEAT on the STREET -Purbeck Environment Action Team took over some of the streets in Wareham last year. Maybe this could be tried in Swanage-choose a few streets to close, maybe temporarily or maybe for ever!!
In Town, Without My Car! is an established event whereby on the 22nd of September each year, town centre streets across Europe close to traffic, and open up solely for
people to enjoy walking, cycling,
street theatre, live music, dancing, public art and children's play areas.
European Mobility Week 2009 will be 16-22 September. EMW now incorporates In Town Without My Car! (Car Free Day), therefore ITWMC may be held on any day of the week, though 22nd September is the preferred and established date, which in 2009 falls on a Tuesday.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/awareness/itwmc/
Post a Comment