Open letter to the residents of Marlborough from a relative newcomer – letter from Kymee Cleasby

Sirs,

I moved here last November and immediately felt at home. I felt welcome and at home here…

I have tried my best to be a good citizen, helping wherever I can and getting stuck in to the community. I wanted to get involved in the town council, but no seats have become available lately. I attended the full Town Council meeting on Monday. I was so impressed with the Mayor and his councillors. They were determined to help the most people and businesses with the options put before them.

With distancing measures there will be queues outside shops on the narrow pavements. To keep people safe, the proposal is to temporarily widen the pedestrian space into the road, giving more space for everyone.

Alongside this, cafés and restaurants will be encouraged to apply for permission to have external seating and tables, so we can enjoy the summer, al fresco, and spend money locally.

This is a great initiative in difficult times. It’s not without its problems. But there has been a lot of creative thinking to mitigate some of these issues. Disabled parking spaces will stay, so will the taxi rank. Extra free parking spaces will be allocated, as well as a parking fee redemption scheme with local shops. Any other options allowed by Wiltshire Council meant the people of Marlborough would have had to shell out thousands… Most towns don’t have any free parking at all.

The virtual Town Council meeting was well attended, with an energetic discussion around these important issues. Not everyone will be completely happy about these temporary changes, but under the circumstances, this is a great initiative to keep Marlborough High Street alive, safe and exciting. After all, we have one of the widest high streets in England, so if not here, where else?

Inspiration has flowed out from many towns and cities throughout the UK, particularly our nearest neighbours, Devizes, Malmesbury and further afield. Everyone is trying to think out of the box.

There will also be hand sanitizer stations along the high street, as well as temporary barriers at the edge of the road. Extra signage about distancing and additional free parking. The planning fee for business wanting to extend al fresco eating will be capped at just £100 and a speedy decision.

We already have too many empty business and shops, so these measures will encourage us back into the town centre and get the local economy moving once again.

Yours,

Kymee Cleasby
Marlborough