Is street’s redesign a danger?

Diane Hollis, who is the manager of Just Cards in Biggleswade’s Hitchin Street, voiced her concerns about the lack of differentiation between the street’s new pavement and the road.

She said: “People think it’s pedestrianised. We get a lot of people that just walk into the road without looking because they think it’s their right of way.”

But Central Beds Council said that this is a shared space development, which reduces the dominance of cars.

Diane said: “Somebody’s going to get hurt and I think it’s going to be a child because a child wouldn’t know this bit’s the road and this bit’s the path.

“I think that the people of Bigglewade need to be aware of it.”

She added that the design has also confused drivers, with people parking in the wrong places.

Central Beds Councillor Nigel Young said: “The paving is very similar between the footway and carriageway but a strip of grey corduroy tactile paving bounds the carriageway.

“Parking bays are yet to be marked along the western side of the carriageway which will resolve the current confusion regarding where to and not to park.

“A number of temporary notices will shortly be displayed on site and the council will shortly be installing permanent signage, which will clearly inform users of Hitchin Street that this area is a shared space.”

Shared space aims to make areas safer by slowing down drivers and encouraging them to be more aware of pedestrians and cyclists.