Eastgate pedestrianisation trial planned for April

“Gloucester is taking the pee. Why would anybody want to go there for a day out? It is a dirty hovel, with beggars, scroungers and street drinkers.”

“Why is the city council so keen to bend over backwards to help the drunks in Eastgate Street? What about everyone else? Don't non-binge drinkers count for anything these days? Gloucester gets worse, year on year.”

“Having just looked this Dallimore woman up, it appears she's one of Dave's "Big Society" lot.

She and her silly views are best ignored.”

“"By attracting more people in at night, we can improve the local economy." Councillor Jennie Dallimore.

What a sad indictment of Britain today when priority is given to encouraging more and more young people to become binge drinkers while virtually nothing is happening to create real living wage jobs, getting people back to work, and getting the economy moving.”

“Well said ROADWOMBAT. Trouble is the powers that be dont understand your reasoning. They would sooner listen to the people who run these bars, the manager of Butlers bar always seems to have alot to say on these road closures, he even wants the lane by his pub closed to the public, effectively making it his domain.Things should not just revovle around these bars and nightclubs, the public should be able to use these roads at all times.”

“Mrs Dallimore says that this will "improve the local economy".

Sorry - not that simple! Here's why:

1. The clubs and bars are largely owned/run by companies outside the county. Yes, they do employ some local staff, but many are also from outside - e.g doormen from Birmingham/Bristol. That money won't get spent here.

2. The takeaways are largely foreign-owned or, at least, owned by people with roots in other cities. The staff are usually immigrants (legal or otherwise). The vast bulk of the money taken therefore disappears elsewhere in the UK or abroad via Western Union the following day.

3. Taxis and Private Hire. Many of these are likewise foreign-owned and run, with the money leaching out of the county/country. Yes, some are County based, but not all by any means.

4. Many "night-time economy" businesses are somewhat, shall we say, "dodgy"! There are often links to organised crime, money laundering etc. Many people are a little naive about this, not least those granting licences!

5. Added cost of policing, cleaning up, etc. has also to be taken into account.

So, all in all, is it of any benefit?

You decide.”

“Closing streets to traffic on Friday/Saturday nights is a very, very bad idea. Here's why:

The crowds spill out of the bars into the street, many of them in a highly excitable state due to alcohol. The ideal is to get them dispersed and away from the area as soon as possible because the more time they spend hanging around there, the more noise and potential for trouble there is. It's a powder keg of disputes and fights awaiting a spark to set it off.

Now let's look at the psychology of crowds:
By making the streets traffic free, all you are doing is giving those people the idea that is is "their space", created especially for them and somewhere where they can hang around as long as they wish. The potential for disruption, damage and trouble increases the longer they are there and the more people spill out to join them.

By keeping traffic flowing and the appearance of the street as "normal" as possible, the more those people are likely to conform to the norms of day-to-day life. Psychologically, it is a normal street, not a specially constructed playground where the rules don't apply.

The do-gooders think they are making the place "safer" by keeping traffic out.
The truth is, the danger to persons using the area is increased hugely as is, of course, the noise, litter, cost of policing etc.”

“Why dont they just put gates at either end of the street and charge people to go in. Residents of Gloucester have the right to use these streets freely without all these restrictions in place. With the amount of times the police are called to the nightclub you think they would close it down, after all they have closed down several other pubs in Gloucester that they have deemed to be trouble spots.”

“I THINK ITS AN ABSOLUTLY RIDICULOUS AND AN ABSURD IDEA!!!!!!!,

I DON'T THINK THIS HAS BEEN THOUGHLY THOUGHT THREW PROPERLY,

IF THEY ARE ONLY GOING TO LET EMERGENCY SERVICES ONTO EASTGATE STREET, WHERE WILL PEOPLE GET THEIR TAXIS FROM??? HOW WILL THEY GET HOME SAFELY??? WILL THEY BE WALKING AROUND THE CORNER WHICH IS A DUAL CARRIGEWAY WHERE SILLY DRIVER DO DRIVE OVER THE PRESCRIBED SPEED LIMIT OF 40 MPH. IT WILL PUT PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVE BEEN DRINKING AND INTOXICATED IN A LOT OF DANGER

ALSO I THINK THERE IS A GRAVE DANGER TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ESPECIALLY YOUNG AND VUNERABLE GIRLS LATE AT NIGHT, I HAVE DEEP CONCERNS OVER THE SAFETY OF OUR YOUNGSTER ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT EXAMPLES OF SEXUAL ATTACKS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN AND AROUND GLOUCESTERSHIRE,

AT LEAST AT PRESENT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THE TAXI RANK WHICH HAS AN AVERAGE OF OVER 20 TAXIS PARKED RIGHT OUTSIDE THE MAIN NIGHTCLUB IN GLOUCESTER THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND AND ON WEDNESDAY STUDENT NIGHTS,

READY TO TAKE PEOPLE EASILY AND SAFELY TO THE SAFETY OF THEIR HOMES

I AM SUGGESTING THAT THEY SHOULD CONTINUE THE WAY THEY HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS WHEREBY THEY HAVE BEEN CLOSING THE STREET OFF TO CARS DRIVEN BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THE WEEKEND BUT STILL ALLOW THE TAXIS IN AND OUT OPERATING A ONEWAY SYSTEM,

I BELIEIVE THAT IS WORKING FINE

I BELIEVE ITS JUST ANOTHER EXCUSE FOR THE POLICE AND THE COUNCIL AUTHORITIES TO NOT DO THEIR JOB WHEREBY CONTROLLING DRUNK AND DISORDERLY REVELLERS ON EASTGATE STREET

I.E STOPPING REVELLERS FAR TOO WORSE FOR WEAR FROM RUNNING AROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, FALLING OVER, RUNNING AROUND AND DAMAGING CARS ETC

I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE IS NO POLICE PRESENCE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS NO MORE WHICH IS STUDENT NIGHT, WHERE VERY DRUNK YOUNG STUDENTS ARE STUMBLING ALL OVER THE ROAD, AND MOTORISTS HAVE TO DRIVE WITH EXTREME CARE AND BE CAREFUL NOT TO HURT ANYONE,

I HOPE I HAVE NOT GONE ONTO MUCH!!!!

BUT I HAVE ONLY THE INTERESTS AND SAFETY OF OUR YOUNG LOCAL COMMUNITY AND STUDENTS WHO HAVE TRAVELLED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO COME TO OUR GREAT CITY TO ENJOY THEMSELVES,

GLOUCESTER IS A WONDERFUL AND VIBRANT CITY

PLEASE DON'T LET IT DOWN

JUST ENJOY AND HAVE A GOOD TIME”