One-way system is damaging our trade (From Bucks Free Press)

One-way system is damaging our trade

9:07am Friday 5th February 2010 in

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RE: The criticism of town councillors Bill Bendyshe-Brown and Carl Etholen by their chairman Alan Turner after they changed their minds and opposed the one-way traffic system in Princes Risborough. At a meeting last week, Cllr Turner pointed out that the council had previously undergone two years of consultation before going ahead with the move and accused Cllr Bendyshe-Brown of not working as a ‘team member’. Cllr Bendyshe-Brown responds below:

WHEN is a person a team player or not? Well, it would seem that if you disagree with the Chairman of Princes Risborough Town Council then you are not a team player!

This happened to me last Tuesday evening when I raised an agenda item to discuss and decide on the one-way system at the monthly town council meeting.

I had, contrary to the view expressed by Cllr Alan Turner, tried to raise the issue in private session but had been stopped from doing so because, to quote: ‘there is insufficient information for the members to make an informed decision at this early stage of the trial’.

I therefore tabled the agenda item for discussion at the first opportunity when it could not be blocked by the chairman.

In preparation for the discussion, Cllr Carl Etholen and I canvassed opinion of all the local businesses in the High Street, Duke Street and Market Square and out of 55 businesses 38 were against, 6 for and 11 were neutral in their assessment on the benefits of the trial.

Several businesses demonstrated that they were losing custom and money and the top end of the High Street, where all the queuing traffic occurs at rush hour time, said that they might as well close at 3.30pm.

We also left sheets for those members of the public who wished to comment, either for or against the new system, to complete at those shops which wished to participate and many have already been completed and passed back to the Information Office for passing on to the PR Town Council office.

The Information Office also has a book for members of the public to comment in.

Cllr Etholen’s and my view now is that the trial should cease forthwith and we will be openly campaigning for this to happen.

What more can I do than represent the views of most people and who have approached me as their local member expressing their extreme concern about the major impact the trial is having upon their businesses and ability to visit the town?

If that is acting as ‘not a team player’ then I plead guilty!

W J Bendyshe-Brown, Cllr for The Risboroughs.