New seating units on their way for Mercer Row

Two large seating units that combine comfortable seating with seasonal planters are on their way as part of the Louth Active Travel Scheme.

The ‘Parklet’ units will be placed in Mercer Row. The wooden seating units are elegant, accessible and invite people to stop and rest, making the most of the area’s blossoming café culture which the Active Travel Scheme is designed to encourage.

The seats on Mercer Row will be sited in former parking bays which have now been switched to the marketplace to give further access to banks and encourage more engagement with the pedestrianised area during non-market days.

This means that, with more disabled parking available than was previously available, Mercer Row will turn into the central access point for the pedestrian space designed to feed businesses and services in the area.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We are delighted that these seating units will be part of the Active Travel Scheme in the beautiful town of Louth.

“As part of our 18-month long trial scheme, this seating set-up will encourage pedestrians to rest and take in what Louth businesses in the area have to offer.

“Throughout this scheme we will continue to listen carefully to what residents and businesses tell us is and isn’t working and we will act accordingly. The Active Travel scheme is about a series of changes that have a positive effect on businesses and the needs of the town. It’s about creating an improved relationship between people and the places they visit in one of the jewels of the county.”

The Active Travel Scheme has proven unpopular with many business owners in Louth so far, with some saying they worry the scheme, which has seen parking reduced in town, specifically Mercer Row, in a bid to encourage people to walk or cycle more, will be the ‘death of their business’ as people will struggle to shop at he local businesses in the town without accessible parking spaces.