Historic high street in Milton Keynes resembles 'fairground racetrack' due to Covid safety measures, says town councillor

Ten days ago Milton Keynes Council installed a path widening and road narrowing scheme in Stony Stratford High Street to allow shoppers to keep their distance.

A number of parking spaces have been lost, including two disabled bays, and local businesses are losing trade, say critics.

Town councillor and city Alderman Paul Bartlett was one of the first to slam the sea of bollards.

"It looks like a fairground racing track or a set of motorway roadworks," he said. "All this to enable a few shoppers help in keeping a social distance of one metre whilst buying a loaf of bread or a packet of bacon."

Cllr Bartlett added: "Like so many other towns, Stony Stratford has lost businesses and jobs due to Covid 19. As a town, we literally cannot afford interfering busybodies from outside Stony to inflict more pain.

"There is no desire to bring potential harm to those most vulnerable to Covid 19. However, the over-the-top, non-consulted and draconian methods of MK Council are wrong for democracy and wrong for Stony Stratford and other historic towns in Milton Keynes."

He said he raised the matter at a town council meeting and chairman Rob Gifford thought the scheme was "proportionate".

But Cllr Bartlett says it is causing much disquiet in the town. Already the council has offered to alter it to free up more disabled parking space.

"Although I found it difficult to fully oppose the new proposal, my view then and still is that MK Council has reacted disproportionately after receiving monies from central government to support social distancing," he said.

Last month, following protest from traders and shoppers alike, the council scrapped a pavement-widening scheme that banned traffic much of Newport Pagnell High Street days after it was introduced.

See the Citizen story here .