Louth’s parklets will be “useful addition to shoppers and residents” say council

The new bespoke combination ‘Parklet’ units were placed in Mercer Row on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings by the county council in former parking bays, in a bid to encourage more pedestrians to slow down and enjoy the easier pace of the town’s café culture.

The Louth Active Travel Scheme is an 18-month-long trial that sees the restriction of traffic along Mercer Row in order to create a larger pedestrianised area feeding into Cornmarket in a bid to encourage the town’s café culture and manage traffic flow in the town centre.

This is the first time these Parklets have been seen in the UK, and Louth is the first location in the country to get them.

Two different styles of the self-contained seating units are so far in place, with one of the units featuring three reclining-style long seats whilst the other uses a combination of bench seats and stools that serve a bar-like table. Both Parklets also have a planter in situ which are being planted with aromatic plants.

CounRichard Davies, executive member for highways, said that the early signs from people in the town were that, on the whole, the Parklets are a good idea.

“We are pleased to have the Parklets in Louth, he added, “These are the latest elements on what is the ongoing trial period for a sustainable future for the market town.

"As part of the Active Travel Scheme plan outlined by Government, we are trying various options to see which works best to encourage people to dwell for longer and fully appreciate and use the businesses and services that Louth has to offer.

“We understand that these Parklets are somewhat controversial but whilst our installation was happening, we experienced first-hand a pretty even split of ideas and support about the scheme as a whole and the Parklets in particular.

“Throughout the installation we had several groups of people using the Parklets as soon as they were able to, with some returning to them throughout the evening to make the most of having somewhere to sit and rest before continuing their night out in the town.

"This is very encouraging, and we hope that once a short period of time has passed and more people give them a try, these seats become a useful addition to the shoppers and residents of Louth.

“We remain open to all feedback on not only this element but the entire 18-month-long trial scheme for Louth.

"As it is a trial, we know that elements of it are very fluid and we are constantly reviewing what works and what needs a tweak here and there.”

However, those against the scheme have said the move proves the council is not listening to local businesses who were reportedly only told the latest news the previous day.

A recent meeting at the Royal British Legion saw around 250 people – including the Federation of Small Businesses – vote almost unanimously in favour of calling on the council to halt the LATS and restore parking to how it was before changes were made across both Mercer Row and the Cornmarket.

Councillors have said the “modern seating” clashes with the strict rules within Louth’s Conservation Area.

Louth Town and District Councillor Andrew Leonard said: “This latest initiative really is the last straw, who on earth wants to sit by a roadside with cars, vans, buses and delivery vehicles passing within feet?

“The county council has failed to listen to what the public want for their town centre [and] are completely out of touch.”

Now these new seating unit have also been met with criticism by local people on social media, with some comments calling the parklets an “eyesore”, “repulsive” and “a waste of money”, while others considered that sitting on a busy road was a “health risk”.

One person simply stated: “We don’t want parklets, it’s parking we need.”

There were some positive responses to the seating units, with one resident saying that they were nice, but would look better on Mablethorpe seafront, while others thought that the parklets would work better in other areas of town such as the Cornmarket or market place.

The county council recently reversed a decision to remove two disabled parking bays on Louth High Street.