Pedestrian-only Trafalgar St: walking in a winter wonderland?

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

Traffic has been welcomed back into Trafalgar St but for how much longer?

The top of Trafalgar St is reopening to traffic once again, and with it comes rumblings to keep it closed all year.

Many Nelson City councillors were largely in favour of the idea, but said it needed consultation with the public first.

'It's been fantastic having it closed in summer, the feedback is all positive,' Councillor Gaile Noonan said.

'People are wondering why we don't have it closed all year round … I'm open to the suggestion.'

Another successful summer closure has people seriously considering a wintertime pedestrian-only Trafalgar St.

* High fives and Mai Tais as Upper Trafalgar St to be closed to traffic again this summer

* Winter closure of upper Trafalgar Street uncertain**

She said European examples showed that people used outdoor spaces in winter, so cold weather wouldn't necessarily scare away the punters.

Noonan also said that many business-owners who were initially not keen on the closure of the top of Trafalgar to traffic were mollified by the fact that businesses which benefited were also being charged for the street-space, which in the first experimental run was provided by the council for free.

She said there would likely be a 'mixed view' on the idea from the public.

'I'm interested in hearing those views.'

Councillor Mike Rutledge said a permanent closure for the area was 'very much worth considering'.

'The closure seems to have worked really well, there seems to be strong buy-in from if not all then certainly the majority of businesses. How it would go through winter months? I don't know.'

He said a permanent closure of the road would be something that was subject to different procedures than the temporary summer closures.

'It's not something that council can just decide 'that would be good, let's do it'.'

Councillors were cautiously optimistic about the potential to keep traffic out of Trafalgar St permanently.

The process would likely include a formal consultation process with the public, he said.

Councillor Tim Skinner said his main concern was maintaining fairness for other businesses in the CBD that did not directly benefit from the closure.

'It's worked really well over the summer, it would be worth trying it out in the winter. The problem is being fair to the businesses that even just around the corner say that it negatively affected them.'

He said on the one hand the pedestrian space was a draw-card for Nelson, but the entire CBD needed similar draw.

'We really need to see how, as a council, we can improve around the rest of the town.'

Councillor Matt Lawrey said that winter was a 'different prospect', but was still in favour of a winter closure.

'We would want to do things quite differently. I was down there early Sunday evening hoping to sit outside and have burgers with the kids but it really was too cold to be eating outdoors.'

He said it would be possible to use the the reduced demand for outdoor dining space to advantage.

'I think that would create room for us to do some creative and fun things that would draw people into town. I'm thinking night markets, art installations, maybe even an old school fairground ride or two. I also think it would create new opportunities for the Nelson Arts Festival and Light Nelson.'