“TRAFFIC mayhem” could be “another nail in the coffin” for Maidenhead town centre, residents fear – as the Royal Borough looks at introducing a bus gate.

The council has launched a consultation on active travel measures and is asking residents their thoughts on multiple measures to improve cycling and walking routes across the borough and help address climate change.

These plans will be paid for by the £335,000 grant given by the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund.

One of the schemes includes introducing a bus gate outside Maidenhead railway station along the length of Shoppenhangers Road between Larchfield and Braywick Road in Oldfield ward – blocking off all traffic except for buses, bicycles, and hackney carriages.

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It also aims to prevent ‘rat running’ – areas used as cut-throughs to avoid traffic on the main roads.

The council believes this section has “very high” potential for more walking and cycling while also providing an alternative to Braywick Road – which is heavily trafficked and “not pleasant” for walking and cycling.

On social media, residents claimed this was a “money-making” scheme and pointed to other English councils like Essex who have implemented similar bus gate schemes, pocketing millions from fines.

Slough Observer: Where the proposed bus gate could beWhere the proposed bus gate could be

The lead member for transport and infrastructure, councillor Gerry Clark (Conservative: Bisham & Cookham), said those claims are “total rubbish and disingenuous” and had challenged officers over this, saying there was no financial element to the scheme, nor has it been considered.

He said: “There’s obviously some very, very poor councils out there, some of them ran by other administrations or political persuasions, and thankfully residents have better in this borough than there because that’s not our thinking.

“We’re working for residents not against them.”

Councillor Gurch Singh (Liberal Democrats: St Mary’s) fears this will be “another nail in the coffin” for Maidenhead as the scheme could cause “gridlock and traffic mayhem” around the town centre.

He said: “Maidenhead town centre is the heart and Shoppenhangers Road is an artery and if you block off one of the arteries, you end up with a blood clot and having a heart attack.

“This is one way of killing Maidenhead.”

Slough Observer: A ground view of the affected roadA ground view of the affected road

He added the scheme will make pick-ups and drop-offs at Desborough College on Shoppenhangers Road “chaos” at peak times and will spill into the town centre.

Cllr Singh also said he first saw this scheme on Facebook, adding he and Oldfield councillors were not consulted about the bus gate scheme before it went to public consultation on January 12.

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However, Cllr Clark begged to differ and accused Cllr Singh of “politicising” the matter, adding there have been ongoing conversations with ward councillors since autumn last year about potential schemes that were being looked at.

He said: “The fact is, it’s a consultation and that’s key.

“I’m disappointed that when officers develop a scheme in good faith that meet good objectives and come forward as proposals – which are absolutely transparently consulted on and ward councillors have been briefed.

“I’m very clear that if the responses are people are against it, then it won’t happen. I don’t understand why that’s a problem because that’s how life should be.”

Residents have until February 9 to express their views by clicking the link here: https://consultprojectcentre.co.uk/rbwmactivetravel