It’s hoped measures to keep Spalding’s Market Place vehicle-free during the day will be introduced by September as outline costs were revealed.
Barriers that cost £12,500 to install and £3,000 a year to run are among the ideas being looked at to stop traffic in the pedestrian area between 10am and 4pm each day.
The vehicle ban is currently in place every day except Sunday, but isn’t policed and has largely been ignored by motorists for years.
The Spalding Town Forum said in 2023 that 86.4 per cent of residents who took part in a survey said they didn’t want traffic in the pedestrianised area and so asked Lincolnshire County Council to rewrite the regulation order to include Sundays.
That has been carried out, but there has been a delay on either barriers or gates being installed.
Coun Rob Gibson, chair of Spalding Town Forum, told its meeting last week he was ‘pretty confident’ it would be in place before the next meeting in September.
“Rising bollards were something that we asked about months ago and the county council never entertained it,” said the councillor who switched to the Reform party earlier this year. “With the change of administration I thought I’d chance my luck.
“There’s some bollards in Grantham and Stamford and I’m just waiting for the final costs.
“The Stamford ones are £12,500 per bollard for installation and £3,000 per year for inspections upkeep and electricity.
“The gate is going to cost quite a few thousand.”
It was agreed that Spalding’s Chain Bridge Forge be approached about potentially creating a gate to be used, if that option is progressed.