Access to St. Andrew's Street and Hobson Street is currently limited to buses, taxis, cycles, blue badge holders and vehicles needing to load or unload goods that cannot be easily carried. Vehicles may also enter the street for access to off-street parking.

Space is at a premium along St. Andrew's Street and is insufficient to cater for all of the current demands. Maximising the number of bus stops and improving the environment for cyclists and pedestrians whilst maintaining essential access is our priority. With that in mind, we have developed two options for St. Andrew's Street which are shown in Plans 2 and 3 below.

Plan 2 - Option A for St Andrew's Street (PDF 675 KB)

Plan 3 - Option B for St. Andrew's Street (PDF 672 KB)

Option A

Incorporates a 'saw-tooth' design for bus stops. The design maximises the number of stops provided. Plan 2 shows we are able to fit in 4 stops along St. Andrew's Street by adopting a 'saw-tooth' approach. A 'saw-tooth' design changes the current parallel kerb to one that sees bus stops being arranged in a relaxed 'zigzag' line. This provides buses with better access to and from stops. In addition, it ensures the buses stop in the best possible place for passengers getting on and off.

Option B

Maintains a parallel kerb but only provides 3 stops along St. Andrew's Street for buses because more space is needed to ensure buses can pull in and out of their allocated stop. Option B means a slightly wider footway can be provided for pedestrians and waiting passengers. As this design provides fewer stops there are concerns that buses may attempt to utilise the space between stops forming unofficial 'saw-tooth' stops and block the road, with passengers having to step on and off from the road. There is also a danger that other vehicles may illegally use the area as the design provides less obvious bus stops.

Similarities

Both options have a number of similarities that we would like your comments on, including:

• A loading facility in St. Andrew's Street close to Christ's Lane. Loading and unloading would only be permitted before 10am and after 4pm (outside of busiest pedestrian hours).
• Contraflow cycling along St. Andrew's Street
• Bus Shelters which take up as little space as possible on the footway. Our overall design has a 'clutter free' emphasis.
• A raised pedestrian crossing point to cater for pedestrian movements between Christ's Lane and Lion Yard / Grand Arcade.
• Some reduction in on-street cycle parking in the area, although the new cycle park provided as part of the Grand Arcade development will provide about 500 spaces in the central area.
• A 20mph speed limit zone proposed to improve safety, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.
• A choice between natural stone and man-made concrete slabs for the footway surface. This choice was put forward in the Emmanuel Street and Drummer Street consultation and it was decided to opt for man-made concrete slabs, which offer a reasonable balance between cost and appearance. For consistency, we would like to see the same materials used for St. Andrew's Street, Drummer Street and Emmanuel Street but if you think natural stone would be better for the footways along St. Andrew's Street then let us know.
• A flexible (asphalt) surface for the road to provide a hard-wearing surface that will resist the wear and tear caused by buses pulling in and out of bus stops and is more easily maintained.
• Raised kerbs at all the new bus stops to make boarding and alighting easier.
• Removal of the blue badge parking bay (opposite the post office) to create more space for pedestrians, cyclists and buses.

The blue badge scheme provides a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel wither as drivers or passengers. There are a number of other options already available which could help to meet the needs of blue badge holders driving into the area. These currently include the shopmobility scheme (currently running from Park Street car park and Christ's Pieces but due to move back to the Grand Arcade (Lion Yard) car park on its completion), designated blue badge parking in the multi storey car parks and access to the historic centre pedestrian zone during the hours in which vehicles are currently banned (10am - 4pm) with a pedestrian zone permit. Access for blue badge holders is important and some alternatives could be provided by:

• Installing two extra blue badge parking spaces at Kings Parade.
• Installing three dedicated blue badge parking spaces in Market Hill. To park here between 10am - 4pm (Mon - Sat_ you would need to have a pedestrian zone permit.
• Installing a 10-minute limited waiting area for up to two vehicles in Guildhall Street as a trial set down / pick up point for blue badge holders (drivers would then park elsewhere)
• Collecting and publishing information from bus operators about which local services usually run wheelchair accessible vehicles.

We know that blue badge holders will be concerned about the loss of parking in St. Andrew's Street but there are alternatives available. Please looks at the historic centre pedestrian zone page on your left or contact us for a copy of the consultation leaflet which contains a cut out and keep guide on the historic centre pedestrian zone.