Throughout much of the Middle Ages, Winchester was the great hub of the Kingdom of England, serving as national capital under infamous rulers from Alfred the Great to Edmund I. Now, there is pressure on Winchester Council to pedestrianise an age-old fortress, preserving the ancient cathedral city only for those arriving on foot.
Murmurings for the plans started when Salisbury announced earlier this year that thirteen of its streets would be identified by Wiltshire Council for pedestrianisation, leading other neighbouring local politicians to moot the green idea to their peers.
In June alone, the ambition to pedestrianise Winchester gained much traction when the county council announced pro-cycling and walking measures in response to the reduced use of driving during the Coronavirus lockdown. These temporary measures included narrowing parts of Jewry Street and removing one of the car lanes on North Walls.
In a latest update, Hampshire Chronicle has published a scathing letter by a member of the public criticising the council’s failure to entirely pedestrianise Jewry Street, on which the Discovery Centre, St Peter’s Church, the United Reform Church, the Theatre Royal, and other local sites are situated.
Wessex Scene will be reaching out in coming days to both Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council to see what progress is being taken on the matter of pedestrianisation.
