Weekend Pedestrianisation Plan for Parliament Street Rejected

A proposal to conduct a trial pedestrianisation of a high street on weekends during the summer months will not proceed, having failed to secure endorsement from a local authority. Commissioner Lamara Craine’s initiative aimed to close a section of Parliament Street to vehicular traffic from 10:00 until 14:00 GMT on Saturdays, spanning from May to September. However, the proposals did not attract a seconder at the most recent Ramsey Commissioners meeting. This outcome followed a letter of objection signed by 39 retailers in the town. The Northern Chamber of Commerce also declared that it “strongly objected” to the pedestrianisation trial planned for the area between Christian Street and Crellin’s Lane. The chamber additionally expressed concerns regarding the methodology of an online questionnaire about the proposals, which was directed at businesses. It characterized the scheme as “divisive” and warned of potential “wider implications” if it were to be approved. Ms. Craine’s motion encompassed three distinct proposals: the online consultation, a subsequent report by the local authority’s staff detailing its findings and potential pedestrianisation alternatives, and the trial itself. None of these proposals received a seconder. Nevertheless, an alternative motion put forward by Commissioner Adam Beighton, advocating to “not pursue” the matter any further, was supported. In a statement released on social media, Ms. Craine indicated that the result had been “expected.” She noted that while some individuals desired a “better looking, more peaceful and inviting environment,” the town was not yet “ready for it yet.” She commented: “Ramsey doesn’t want change, Ramsey wishes to remain the same. “Relinquishing our public space, our air and our peace to the presence of vehicles.”” Ms. Craine’s bid emerges amidst a long-standing discussion concerning pedestrianisation in the southern town of Castletown, where a temporary order closing the square to traffic is presently in effect.