Peterhead businesses pushing for pedestrian zones to be scrapped
Town centre becoming like a ghost town
Published:
Businesses in a north-east port are campaigning to have pedestrian zones in the town centre scrapped in a drive to increase sales and rejuvenate the area.
Local firms claim lack of traffic in Chapel Street and Marischal Street in Peterhead has had a negative impact on their already suffering businesses.
They have joined forces with Peterhead Business Forum (PBF) and circulated a survey among town-centre companies to see whether they want the area reopened to cars.
Traffic was banned from the streets in 2001 as part of a £1.6million project.
It is only open to buses and delivery lorries at certain points in the day.
Dave Arthur, boss at Ace Computing in Marischal Street, is spearheading the campaign alongside local jeweller Robert Emslie.
Mr Arthur said the town centre was becoming more like a “ghost town”.
He added that the majority of responses to the surveys returned so far were “very much in favour” of having the pedestrian zones scrapped.
“We’ve been at this site for 20 years and are definitely finding that things are getting harder,” he said.
“If you walk down to Queen Street, which has no pedestrian zones, you notice that area is a lot busier – we’re only talking about 100 yards down the road.
“It seems that the town centre is almost a secondary patch and it has become a ghost town.”
Mr Arthur added that once all the surveys have been returned local shop owners and the PBF intend to bring the matter to the attention of councillors.
Other firms backing the campaign include Elmar Bridal Collection and clothes shop Dorothy Jack’s, both on Chapel Street, and Jimmy Allen, owner of Mrs Bridge’s cafe, at Marischal Street.
Mr Allen said: “We need to get Peterhead town centre back to its best.”
Douglas Armstrong of the business forum said: “If there is consensus from traders that the pedestrian area should be open to cars we will take it forward and talk to councillors to see what we can do.”
Campaigners hope all surveys will be returned in the coming weeks.
