NOT TO BE PRINTED_Draft Final TAAP comments duly

Mrs E McGuire Thetford 19 Policy TH 25 Disagree
Mrs Janet Smith
Gibbons Thetford
19
Policy TH 25 Disagree
Mrs Janet Smith
Gibbons
Mrs Jodie
Thetford 19 Policy TH 25 Disagree
Canham Thetford 19 Policy TH 25 Agree I agree to move bus station.
and existing riverside site is urgently
The design of the new Bus Interchange and the work planned for required in advance of Town Centre
Minstergate and St Nicholas Street (including the adjacent masterplan work to aid local
junction onto Norwich Road) are "sensible" and will be safe for understanding of what is being
Abandon this project on bus station at St Nicholas Street. scheme to pedestrians and other road users. The proposals being proposed and why an alternative
build forum on old Anchor Hotel site has been abandoned. Please, developed have been subject to an independent safety audit and option of retaining the existing bus
please convert this site to new bus station with toilets, rest room, two full scale 'mock up' trails carried out with a local bus operator facility is not an appropriate way
tourist centre. This is an attractive site to encourage visitors to the recommendations of which have been incorporated into the forward to achieve the regeneration
Thetford.
design as it has developed.
of this key town centre site.
The proposed site for the new bus station is completely wrong on
many counts. Local residents know this and have made their
objections clear over the past months. The approach road is totally
unsuitable; it is narrow and always full of pedestrians (and according
to TH21, priority will be given to pedestrians in Minstergate). What
will happen when the Burrell Museum has an open day with its steam
engines outside, or moving slowly along the road into town? Will the
museum no longer be able to move the steam engines outside? The
Burrell Museum is a popular tourist attraction. Restricting its
operation conflicts with the concept ‘Gateways into Thetford' which
plans to highlight Thetford's heritage. I understand that the proposed
new site will not accommodate the new, larger buses (one of the
reasons given for having to move from the original site is that the
current site can't take these buses).
The desire for the existing bus facilities that exist within the
Bridge Street car park to be improved is noted. However the
existing site is constrained, by adjacent buildings (one of which
is listed), flood zones (along the river frontage) and by the
existence of a scheduled ancient monument. Without significant
demolition of buildings the existing facilities can not be improved
to provide a high quality interchange of sufficient capacity to
cater for the planned growth and regeneration of the town. If
building demolitions occurred to achieve a suitable site assembly
a new bus interchange the regeneration potential of this
important town centre site and the opportunity it provides to
significantly enhance the river frontage and wider revival of the
town centre would be compromised.
The design of the new Bus Interchange and the work planned for
Minstergate and St Nicholas Street (including the adjacent
junction onto Norwich Road) are "sensible" and will be safe for
pedestrians and other road users. The proposals being
developed have been subject to an independent safety audit and
two full scale 'mock up' trails carried out with a local bus operator
the recommendations of which have been incorporated into the
design as it has developed.
There is insufficient parking (for the many people who currently drive
to the bus station and leave their car for the day whilst using their
bus passes for a day out. The site will not be large enough to
accommodate the number of buses currently using the bus station
(at peak times (eg 8.30 am) sometimes 5 or 6 at a time). There
appears to be no provision for facilities such as toilets, waiting room -
the lack of which has been given as another reason the current bus
station is unsuitable. The traffic flow on the inner relief road will
cause long delays for buses, especially at peak times - it often takes
three or four changes of the traffic lights to move from the St
Nicholas street junction to the Bury Road/Brandon Road/London
Road junction. The riverside setting is a wonderful welcome to
travellers coming to or passing through Thetford. The current bus
station could easily be improved by purchasing the vacant land This appears an extension of another comment; a response for
behind the Chinese restaurant to widen the exit.
which is given above.
Agree that further consultation on
the new proposed bus interchange
and existing riverside site is urgently
required in advance of Town Centre
masterplan work to aid local
understanding of what is being
proposed and why an alternative
option of retaining the existing bus
facility is not an appropriate way
forward to achieve the regeneration
of this key town centre site.
Support for moving the bus station from its existing location is
noted. No further action.
The desire for the existing bus facilities that exist within the
Bridge Street car park to be improved is noted. However the
existing site is constrained, by adjacent buildings (one of which
is listed), flood zones (along the river frontage) and by the
existence of a scheduled ancient monument. Without significant
demolition of buildings the existing facilities can not be improved
to provide a high quality interchange of sufficient capacity to
cater for the planned growth and regeneration of the town. If
building demolitions occurred to achieve a suitable site assembly
for a new bus interchange the regeneration potential of this
important town centre site and the opportunity it provides to
significantly enhance the river frontage and wider revival of the
town centre would be compromised.
Agree that further consultation on
the new proposed bus interchange
and existing riverside site is urgently